Bryan Nelson

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For other people named Bryan Nelson, see Brian Nelson (disambiguation).
Bryan Nelson
Representative Bryan Nelson.jpg
Mayor of Apopka
Assumed office
March 2018
Preceded byJoe Kilsheimer[1]
Member of the Orange County Commission
from the 2nd district
In office
January 2014 – March 2018
Preceded byFrank Brunner
Succeeded byRod Love[2]
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 31st district
In office
November 6, 2012 – November 4, 2014
Preceded byJohn Tobia
Succeeded byJennifer Sullivan
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 38th district
In office
November 7, 2006 – November 6, 2012
Preceded byFred Brummer
Succeeded byWill Weatherford
Personal details
Born (1958-09-14) September 14, 1958 (age 63)
Orlando, Florida
Political partyRepublican
Alma materUniversity of Florida (BS)
ProfessionInsurance agent

Bryan Nelson (born September 14, 1958) was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 31st District, which includes the cities of Apopka, Eustis, Mount Dora, Tavares, and Umatilla in northern Lake County and northern Orange County, since 2012. He served on the Orange County Commission for District 2 from 2014 until March 2018 when he won election for mayor of Apopka after support for the previous mayor deteriorated

History[]

Nelson was born in Orlando and attended the University of Florida, where he graduated with a degree in ornamental horticulture in 1979. After graduation, he returned to Central Florida, where he worked in his family's business, Nelson's Florida Roses. Nelson then started Nelson Insurance Services in 1995 as a means of providing his family's business with insurance, and it expanded from there. In 2002, he was appointed to the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission, and served as its chairman in 2006.

Florida House of Representatives[]

When incumbent State Representative Fred Brummer was unable to seek another term in the legislature and instead opted to run for the Orange County Commission, Nelson ran to succeed him in the 38th District, which was based in northern Orange County, stretching from Apopka to Ocoee, Orlando, and Maitland. He won the Republican primary and the general election entirely uncontested. In 2008, he faced his first opponents: Lonnie Thompson, the Democratic nominee, and Lawrence Fisher, an independent candidate. The Orlando Sentinel endorsed Thompson over Nelson, observing, "[H]e better appreciates the important issues facing the district than does his opponent," and criticizing Nelson for not protecting the Wekiva River and for not supporting property-insurance reforms.[3] Despite this fact, Nelson won his second term over Thompson by a solid margin of victory, winning 54% of the vote to Thompson's 43% and Fisher's 3%. When Nelson ran for a third term in 2010, he did not face a Democratic opponent, but instead a member of the Florida Tea Party, James Heinzelman. Nelson ran on a platform of "repealing parts of SB 550, which would impose a five-year inspection schedule on septic tanks," which he said would lead to a "bureaucratic and costly nightmare" and on supporting SunRail, which Heinzeilman vocally opposed.[4] Ultimately, Heinzelman did not prove to be a significant challenge for Nelson, and he won re-election with 82% of the vote. In 2012, when the legislative districts were redrawn, Nelson was moved into the 31st District, which, like his previous district, was based in Apopka, but unlike his previous district, stretched into northern Lake County and won re-election to his fourth term entirely unopposed.

Orange County Commission[]

In 2013, Nelson announced that he would run for the Orange County Commission in District 2 to replace term-limited Commissioner Fred Brummer, whom he previously replaced in the legislature. He was able to defeat his Democratic opponent, Vice Mayor of Eatonville, Florida in the general election process in 2014.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Bryan Nelson knocks Joe Kilsheimer from Apopka mayor's office". 14 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Rod Love appointed to Orange County Commission". 27 April 2018.
  3. ^ "We think: Thompson, Randolph and Adams are the best picks in three key Central Florida districts". Orlando Sentinel. October 9, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  4. ^ Ramos, Victor Manuel (October 25, 2010). "Candidates in State House District 38 say they want to protect taxpayers". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  5. ^ Damron, David (April 15, 2013). "Rep. Nelson takes outside donation lead in Orange race with help from capital friends". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 9, 2013.

External links[]

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