Emily Bonilla unseats Ted Edwards in Commission

Political newcomer Emily Bonilla unseated incumbent County Commissioner Ted Edwards in the District 5 race on Tuesday.

According to unofficial election results Tuesday night, Bonilla garnered 57 percent of the vote over Edwards’ 42.9 percent. That was a flip-flop over August’s primary election results when Edwards fell less than 10 percent shy of the 50 percent of the vote necessary to clinch his seat for his last eligible consecutive term. In that race, Edwards won 42.3 percent compared to Bonilla’s 27.6 percent. That forced a runoff vote, allowing Bonilla a chance for a comeback.

Bonilla celebrated her first win in public office at The Abbey in downtown Orlando, where local Democrats gathered to watch the election results.

“It feels really, really good,” she said. “It’s really surreal, but I can’t wait to get started.”

Before the election, Bonilla had made a name for herself in recent years by opposing increased large development east of the Econolockahatchee River, founding Save East Orange in 2013 – now known as East of Econ. A private-sector entrepreneur by trade, Bonilla launched a successful campaign rooted in principles of conservation of both natural and economic resources.

“It was a lot of hard work and I knew I could do it, it was just getting my name out there and making sure people knew who I was. Because once people learned who I was, then the choice was easy for them,” Bonilla said.

Bonilla’s win brings Edwards’ current six-year stint as Orange County commissioner to an end. A fixture in Orange County politics since he first served on the Commission from 1996 to 2004, Edwards said he’ll now switch to focusing on his law firm and private life while always keeping an eye on how he can serve the county.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege of a lifetime to serve as an Orange County commissioner for District 5,” Edwards said.

And while he said he’s disappointed with the results, he offered congratulations to Bonilla.

“I look forward to continuing to being a part of the future of Orange County, but in a very different role now,” he said.

When she takes over as commissioner, Bonilla said she is looking forward to fixing some of Orange County’s biggest problems – from overhauling Corrine Drive to finding a solution for water issues in Wedgefield and Bithlo.

“I’m looking forward to talking with as many constituents as possible and starting to solve some of the issues that we have in Orange County,” she said.