LATEST NEWS
Orlando District 3: Five candidates vie for open council seat
Orlando’s District 3 race features Roger Chapin, Mira Tanna, Kimberly Kiss, Samuel Chambers and Chris Duran. The winner will hold the seat for four years.
While all five have raised competitive sums of campaign cash, Chapin is the best-funded candidate in the race and is backed by Mayor Buddy Dyer…
The winner will represent a district that includes College Park, Rosemont, Baldwin Park and Audubon Park. Election Day is Nov. 4. If no candidate receives 50%-plus-one vote, the top vote getters will have a runoff on Dec. 9.
Chapin, of College Park, is the son of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin and owns his own communications company. He’s a current board member on the Orlando Utilities Commission and previously served on the city’s Municipal Planning Board and Downtown Development Board.
He contends he’s the most experienced candidate of the bunch, someone who knows City Hall and is ready to start right away.
“I want to do the blocking and tackling of city government,” he said.
Chapin said he supports building wider sidewalks for walking and biking on key corridors in the district — Edgewater, Corinne and Virginia Drives — in an effort to improve safety and commerce. He likes that those three road plans have design elements meant to slow down cars.
He said he’s focused on affordability, including reviewing city policies related to parking requirements and providing incentives for shovel-ready affordable housing developments, which may not qualify for other funding sources.
His endorsements include Dyer, unions representing the city’s police and fire departments, and the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association.
Volunteers Show Up to Walk
Great day to walk College Park with friends and supporters. Special thanks to the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 25 and the Orlando Professional Firefighters who assisted.
As we draw closer to Election Day on November 4th, we will walking the last few Saturdays. If you are interested in joining us, email Roger@RogerChapin.com
Roger Chapin raised $79K last period, the most of any Orlando City Council candidate
Roger Chapin’s fundraising is surging in the crowded race for the open Orlando City Council District 3 seat.
Chapin, a Mears Transportation executive who comes from a political family, raised nearly $79,000 from July 1 to Oct. 8. That’s the most money of any candidate running in the three Orlando City Council races to be decided on Nov. 4, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Chapin is among five candidates running for the open District 3 to succeed longtime Commissioner Robert Stuart, who is not seeking a sixth term. District 3 includes the bustling downtown neighborhoods of College Park and Baldwin Park.
Chapin, whose mother is former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin, has brought in $197,000 for the entire election cycle. So far, he has spent $80,000 of it, leaving $117,000 in his war chest for the final weeks before the election.
Full article on Florida Politics here.
Thank you Orlando Professional Firefighters!
Orlando’s Professional Firefighters, Local 1365 gave the campaign an assist with putting up some of large campaign signs this week.
If you have an “office or industrial” location and want to show your support for the campaign, let us know by emailing Roger@RogerChapin.com and we can arrange to have one delivered and installed with “white glove” service!
WKMG Interview
Thank you to Reporter Lisa Bell at WKMG for interviewing all the candidates for District 3 Orlando City Council election. Appreciate the opportunity to share more information about our campaign and talk about the important issues facing Orlando. To watch our interview you can click here: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/politics/2025/10/06/one-on-one-with-orlando-district-3-candidate-roger-chapin/
A Visit with Former Mayor Bill Frederick
Visiting with former Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick was wonderful! At 90, he is still actively engaged and focused on the City Beautiful.
Always important to seek counsel from those who came before you. Little known fact: My first campaign work was for Bill Frederick. Riding in a trolly as a 9-year old in Southern Oaks neighborhood with my friend Kern Hastings, I can remember like it was yesterday, holding the mega phone yelling: “Vote for Bill for Mayor”!
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of knowing Mayor Bill for another 45 years! In addition, I’ve had the honor of working with him on several important projects including the Dr. Philllips Center, when the community came together to make the center a reality.
Mayor Bill is still dishing out sage advice at the young age of 90! Asking me important questions, sharing advice and discussing issues. The City Beautiful is still at the heart of Mayor Bill’s life. I was happy to visit with him recently. He was a wonderful Mayor and has been a great friend and mentor to me all these years.
Walking District 3
Our campaign has been hard at work with Roger and volunteers walking and knocking on doors of District 3.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been walking the district. Walking, knocking, meeting voters is a little bit of an art and a little bit of a science. When you’re running for office, you’re granted access from the supervisor of elections for voter data. That data tells you 1) who’s registered to vote, 2) name and address and more importantly, 3) how likely they are to vote. Meaning, are you a more or less likely to vote in a municipal election in an “off year” (non presidential and non gubernatorial) year?
The reality - given how hot it is, how much time it takes to walk and knock - is that you’re targeting “voters” on their likelihood to vote in the upcoming election. You want to maximize your time. Better return on your investment!
So over the past few weeks, our campaign team has been targeting “likely voters”. So maybe you met Roger, or met a volunteer or saw a door hanger left behind? No matter what, feel free to 1) reach out with questions or comments or 2) request an absentee ballot from the Supervisor of Elections. Our door hangers provide an important QR code for you, and here is the link as well: https://www.ocfelections.gov/vote-by-mail
250 Yards Signs Out the Door!
Our first yard sign event was a huge success—250 signs gone in one day! Read more about the overwhelming support and how to get yours.
This past weekend, friends and neighbors came out to show their support for our campaign for Orlando City Council by participating in our initial “yard sign” distribution event. To say the support was overwhelming would be an understatement.
We started with 250 yard signs at 9 a.m. and by 4 p.m. we were out of stock. Since then, we’ve ordered another 250 yard signs and already have a “waiting list” of more than 50 families.
In the coming weeks we will be happy deliver a yard sign or make available for pick up. Just drop us a line here at the website! Thank you to all the people who chose to show their early support and especially to the volunteers who delivered signs to many of the of the neighborhoods in district 3.
Honoring a Trailblazer
Spending time with Commissioner Mable Butler reminded me how lucky we are to follow in the footsteps of true pioneers.
If you're running for office in The City Beautiful, you seek advice, counsel, and support from those who paved the way before you. I had the honor of spending time with a true legend: former City Council Member and County Commissioner Mable Butler. At 98 years young, “Commissioner” continues to inspire with her wisdom and warmth. She was the first Black woman to serve on the Orlando City Council (1984–1990) and the first Black person elected to the Orange County Commission in 1990. Her historic leadership opened doors for so many, and I’m incredibly lucky to have her love and support. She’s simply amazing.
Protecting Our Lakes
Neighbors from across the Loch Haven Chain of Lakes are coming together to protect the water we all rely on—and I’m grateful to be learning from them.
I had a great time meeting with neighbors, activists, and volunteers involved with Friends of the Loch Haven Chain of Lakes. These passionate residents from Lake Rowena, Beverly Shores, Rose Isle, and Merritt Park are doing incredible work to protect and improve the water quality of this vital chain of lakes. I learned a great deal—from the impact of stormwater runoff to how invasive species like hydrilla affect our waterways. Their commitment to preserving our natural environment is exactly the kind of community-led stewardship that makes District 3 special.
Listening on Corrine Drive
At the Corrine Drive public meeting, I heard firsthand how we can make our main corridors safer, more walkable, and more connected for everyone.
I attended the public meeting on the Virginia-Forest-Corrine Drive corridor, and I was grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from residents and city staff. This area is a vital part of our District 3 identity—home to small businesses, gathering spaces, and a growing number of families. Walkability, safety, landscaping, bike lanes, and traffic calming are all critical tools we can use to enhance and protect these neighborhoods. I appreciated the city’s efforts to educate and engage the community in shaping the future of this important corridor.
Florida Politics: Roger Chapin enters race for Orlando City Council in District 3
The longtime Mears Transportation executive has chaired several important boards in Central Florida.
Another longtime Orlando leader just jumped into an increasingly crowded Orlando City Council race.
Roger Chapin, a longtime executive at Mears Transportation, is running for City Commissioner in District 3.
“As a lifelong resident of Orlando, I’ve seen firsthand the rapid growth and economic prosperity of our city, but I also understand the real challenges and opportunities we face moving forward as a community,” Chapin said.
“As a business executive, with my involvement in civic initiatives and a deep commitment to my neighbors and community, I’m running to bring people together and create real, lasting solutions that improve quality of life for every resident.”
Five other candidates already filed for the open seat. Other candidates include Jason Albu, Samuel Chambers, Chris Durant, Kimberly Kiss and Mira Tanna.
The winner will succeed City Commissioner Robert Stuart, who announced last month he will not seek another term.
Chapin worked at Mears for more than 20 years, rising to Executive Vice President of the company.
He has also been involved in several civic groups and public boards.
He currently sits on the board for the Orlando Utilities Commission. He has previously been Chair of the Downtown Development Board; the Orlando Municipal Planning Board and the City of Orlando Redistricting Advisory Board; Vice Chairman of the Orange County Charter Review Commission; and sat on the Community Oversight Board for the funding and construction of the Dr. Phillips Center.
His campaign noted that he was appointed to various positions both by Republicans like former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and former Orange County Mayor Theresa Jacobs and Democrats like current Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.
Chapin and wife Susan have lived in College Park for 27 years. Daughter Grey now attends the University of Florida.
Orlando city elections are scheduled this year for Nov. 4, with a runoff on Dec. 9 planned if necessary.