Business advocate Stephanie Ziglar files for Orange County Commission

Stephanie Ziglar said she is running for Orange County Commission because she wants to help support businesses after seeing many of them struggle with a lack of government support.

Ziglar, the Curry Ford West Main Street District Executive Director, has filed for  Orange County’s District 3 race in November 2028.

A crowded field of candidates is already seeking the seat currently held by Commissioner Mayra Uribe.

As it stands now, Ziglar is competing against former Sen. Linda Stewart, Nelson Betancourt, information technology expert Gus Martinez, and lawyer Walker Smith IV.

In 2023, Ziglar began leading the Curry Ford West Main Street District, which represents local establishments in both Orlando city and Orange County limits.

“I have witnessed the struggle of businesses that are directly across the street from each other to get open, to stay open, to fight zoning issues … and it was one of the main reasons I decided that I should run,” said Ziglar, who lives in Dover Estates and is a lifelong Orange County resident. “My small businesses that are located in the county will tell you that they don’t feel like they get anything. They feel like they are just adrift.”

Meanwhile, Orlando offers business assistance programs and facade improvement grants, and it has dedicated staff to help new businesses open, Ziglar said.

Orange County business owners are also annoyed that they have to go in person to file some permits instead of doing so online in today’s technology-driven world, she said.

“I have been working with the county, discussing with them those programs and how beneficial they can be,” Ziglar said. “Their economic development team has been open and receptive to the feedback, but it is a slow process.”

Now, Ziglar said she wants to run for public office and push for faster change.

“I don’t think it would be challenging to even create a small sign grant program that would allow businesses to improve their exteriors and have the proper signage that meets the current code,” Ziglar said, adding the county previously offered that help but later shut it down. “Those types of things could be done with money that exists.”

Ziglar is already campaigning for the election, just under two years away. She held her first canvas and plans to paint more after the holidays in 2026.