Martinez, Jeffers on to Kissimmee Seat 4 runoff
Angela Eady, left, celebrates defending her Kissimmee Commission seat with Commissioner Janette Martinez, who moves on to a November runoff to keep her seat. (Photo/Ken Jackson)
Retired St. Cloud Police Deputy Chief Kirk Zilke and local business professional Alex Rodriguez will advance to the November 3 election to determine who will win Seat 5 of the St. Cloud City Council.
While Zilke won 40.5% of the vote (3,256 votes) in the three-candidate race, Rodriguez narrowly defeated opponent Jim Moore – by eight votes – to move on to the November election. Rodriguez earned 29.8% of the vote with 2,396 votes while Moore won 29.7% with 2,388 votes. With such a close finish, Moore said he will contact the elections office on Wednesday to see what the process is regarding a recount.
Throughout the campaign Zilke highlighted his 35 years of public-safety and city-operations experience, asserting that St. Cloud needs leaders who understand budgeting, infrastructure, and public safety from the inside. He listed managing rapid growth, easing traffic congestion, and protecting the city’s fiscal health as his top priorities.
“I just want to say that I've served this community for over 35 years already with integrity,” he said Tuesday. “I plan on continuing to serve this community with Integrity as well and transparency, and to work for our citizens.
“I want to thank everybody that came out and voted for us at this time, but we still got a lot more work to do for November, and we're going to work hard to try to win this election.”
Rodriguez, a first-time candidate who has served as an HOA board president, campaigned on bringing transparency, accessibility, and practical problem-solving to City Hall. He listed traffic and infrastructure, managing growth responsibly, and public safety as his top priorities, arguing that the city must plan ahead so roads, services, and first responders keep pace with development.
In Kissimmee, while commissioner Angela Eady will retain her seat, fellow commissioner Janette Martinez will continue her campaign into the Nov. 3 general election.
Eady defeated challenger Wanda Roman, earning the vote of 53% of Kissimmee’s voters in a rather close race.
“Don’t give up on Kissimmee just yet,” said Eady, who took a moment Tuesday night to endorse Janette Martinez, her fellow Seat 4 commissioner.
Martinez, with 37% of the vote, and challenger Tiffany Jeffers with 28.8%, are headed to a runoff. Rubin Anderson (21%) and Maria Virginia Garcia (13%) were third and fourth.
“Our fight is far from done,” Martinez said. “We want to win to have a voice for the people, and not to make friends. I am not weak when it comes to defending our city.
Jeffers called her campaign "Underestimated.”
“My community wanted me to run. I have been an activist and a leader for over 20 years and I know our community wants and needs someone they can depend on, and that's me,” she said.
Said Martinez: “I like Tiffany, but I love serving the people.”
Kissimmee voters approved one charter amendment — to authorize criminal background checks as part of the qualification process to become a candidate for office — and rejected another to extend the term limits of a commissioner from two full terms to three, by overwhelming margins (78% rejecting the term limit change, 93% for the background checks).
