Orange County Mayor (runoff)
The county mayor is the county's chief executive: proposes the budget, oversees county departments and staff, and presides over the Board of County Commissioners. Term: 4 years.
Candidate list only. We have verified who is on the ballot for this race but have not yet researched their positions, so most issues will show "No public position found" and the match tool cannot score them. Campaign websites are linked where known.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Runoff lineup and Aug. 18 results from WFTV, Central Florida Public Media and Spectrum News 13. Nonpartisan.
Candidates
Tiffany Moore Russell
Orange County Clerk of Courts. Finished first in the four-way Aug. 18 nonpartisan primary.
Chris Messina
Tech entrepreneur. Finished second in the four-way primary ahead of former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (26%) and Commissioner Mayra Uribe (15%).
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 | Tiffany Moore Russell Nonpartisan | Chris Messina Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | 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. | 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 |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | 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). | No public position found | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | 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 |
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).
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).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Tiffany Moore Russell | not enough data | not enough data |
| Chris Messina | 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.
Tiffany Moore Russell
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Chris Messina
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.