Lake County Commission, District 2
County commissioners set the county budget and property-tax (millage) rate, adopt land-use and zoning rules, and oversee county services such as roads, parks, libraries, fire/EMS and utilities. Term: 4 years.
Partly verified. Either the November opponent could not be confirmed from available sources, or only a few positions are documented. Confirm the full candidate list on your county sample ballot; unknown positions are shown as such.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Only the incumbent's candidacy was confirmed in snippets (Yahoo/Daily Commercial preview). Whether he faces a November opponent could not be verified; check
Candidates
Report an error ↗One candidate in this race is a write-in. Florida does not print a qualified write-in candidate's name on the ballot. To vote for one you must write the name on the write-in line for this race; a blank or misspelled line may not be counted.
Sean M. Parks
Sitting District 2 county commissioner and board vice-chairman; qualified Republican candidate in 2026.
Jose Elias-Torres
Write-in candidate qualified for the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot according to the Florida Division of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list (Qualified). Not yet researched.
Leighton Powers
Write-in candidate qualified for the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot according to the Florida Division of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list (Qualified). Not yet researched.
Side-by-side on the major issues
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
| Issue | Sean M. Parks Republican | Jose Elias-Torres Write-in | Leighton Powers Write-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | Leans agree· stated position Says Lake County's property-tax rate is the lowest in the region and he intends to keep it that way. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Property taxesFlorida should eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes, even if local governments must cut services or find other revenue. | Leans disagree· stated position Says that as of now he would vote no on Amendment 3 unless shown it is not a 'shell game'; says he supports real tax relief but not shifting costs to fees or cutting public safety and roads. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | Strongly agrees· stated position Pledges to stop projects that threaten lakes, rural land and open spaces; calls himself a 'Teddy Roosevelt Republican'. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Growth & developmentGrowth and development should be slowed or more tightly regulated (higher impact fees, density limits, stronger local control). | Strongly agrees· stated position Wants roads, schools and utilities in place before projects are approved, opposes 'housing sprawl for its own sake' and would push back on state mandates that strip local say. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | Leans agree· stated position Pledges funding, training and equipment for deputies, firefighters and EMS. | No public position found | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
How the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree), Teacher and staff pay (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree), Library and classroom materials (agree), School safety approach (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Sean M. Parks | not enough data | not enough data |
| Jose Elias-Torres | not enough data | not enough data |
| Leighton Powers | not enough data | not enough data |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Sean M. Parks
- Data centers — Says data centers should pay the full cost of the power and infrastructure they need ('cost-causer pays') and that he supported the county's pause on data centers; defended listening to the Lake 100 business group, which backs a conditional-use permit approach.
Jose Elias-Torres
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Leighton Powers
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.