BREAKING UPDATE: Incumbent Mayor Buddy Dyer has won his reelection bid for mayor of Orlando, beating out three challengers, NewsNation / Decision Desk HQ projects.
Original story: (NewsNation) — In a non-partisan race for mayor, Orlando residents will choose to cast their votes for longest-running Mayor Buddy Dyer or one of his challengers, Sam Ings, Tony Vargas and Steve Dixon.
Dyer has been in office since 2003 and is seeking what he has said would be his seventh and final four-year term in office. Dyer has named municipal services and reshaping Orlando’s downtown as top concerns for his campaign.
His primary challenger is former police Capt. Sam Ings, who is running on promises to improve public safety and reduce crime. Businessman Tony Vargas is also in the race, promising to reduce homelessness and clean up downtown Orlando. The final challenger in the race is former Marine Steve Dixon, who has promised to cut taxes, aggressively pursue investigations into human trafficking and to enact policies to attract businesses to the city.
Orlando’s mayor not only runs the city but sits on a number of critical regional boards, including the Tourism Development Board and the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission, making the job a very powerful one for central Florida politicians.
Polls close at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The graphic below will be updated as results come in.