Apopka voters to decide on next Mayor in Tuesday Runoff

Apopka City Commissioner Nick Nesta and Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore are competing in a Runoff Election on Tuesday to be Apopka’s next Mayor.

Election Day polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In last month’s Election, Nesta and Moore received about 42% and 32% of the vote, respectively, in a three-way race. Current Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson fell out of contention in third place. Nesta and Moore moved on to a Runoff since neither received a majority of the vote.

The Apopka Mayor’s race has generated headlines in Central Florida for being a heated contest.

Nelson, the ousted incumbent, is endorsing Moore after unsuccessfully suing to have her removed from the ballot. Nelson previously accused her of not living in Apopka and failing to qualify for the ballot. Moore denied Nelson’s allegations and said she should be allowed to run.

Moore won Nelson’s support in part because Nesta and Nelson also have a personal history.

Nesta accused Nelson’s wife of pushing him two years ago and filed a police report against her. No charges were ever filed against Nelson’s wife, the Orlando Sentinel previously reported.

Nelson said the dispute began when Nesta had read Nelson’s wife’s personal information on the public record during a 2024 City Commission meeting. The Sentinel reported that this led to a confrontation where Nelson’s wife admitted to poking Nesta in the chest to get his attention. Nesta said Nelson’s wife pushed him.

Nesta has also come under fire for working with Christopher Delgado, the tech CEO accused of running a $328 million Ponzi scheme.

Nesta disclosed on Facebook that he had represented Delgado for real estate deals to buy and sell homes. 

“Like any home purchase, those sales were completed through licensed lenders and required full lender approval of the home loans. At one point, Christopher Delgado also made a donation to one of my prior campaigns, just as many local individuals in our community do when they choose to support a candidate,” Nesta wrote last month.

“I want to be very clear: I have never invested with Christopher Delgado, I have never participated in any cryptocurrency ventures with him, and I have never had any financial involvement with him beyond those standard real estate transactions that were approved by licensed lenders.”

Apopka is the only incorporated town in the northwest part of Orange County and has a population of more than 60,000 people.