Meet Orange County mayoral candidate Stephanie Murphy

BIO

Age: 47

Residence: Winter Park

Family: Husband, Sean, two children

Education: Bachelor’s degree, College of William & Mary; master’s degree, Georgetown University

Occupation: Business executive; former U.S. representative

Qualifications: A mother raising a family in Orange County; former national security specialist at the U.S. Department of Defense; former three-term member of Congress representing Central Florida; business executive with experience helping organizations solve complex problems

What makes you the best candidate for Orange County mayor?

Orange County is at an inflection point. We can continue reacting to today’s challenges, or we can prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities. My career has been about bringing people together, solving difficult problems and delivering results.

I’ve led in business, national security and Congress, where I earned a reputation for effective, results-oriented leadership. I understand how to manage large organizations, build partnerships across sectors and secure investments that strengthen our community.

As mayor, I’ll focus on three priorities: making housing more attainable, improving our quality of life through transportation and responsive government, and expanding economic opportunity by attracting higher-wage jobs while increasing job training opportunities. My goal is to help Orange County be not only a world-class destination but also a world-class community for the people who live here.

What are the key differences between you and your opponents?

Every candidate brings valuable experience, but I believe my combination of executive, business and public service experience is unique.

I’ve worked in the private sector, at the Department of Defense, and in congress solving complex problems that required building consensus and producing measurable results. Those experiences also gave me relationships with business leaders, investors, innovators and government officials that can help bring new opportunities to Orange County.

I’m focused on preparing Orange County for the future by growing higher-wage industries, improving infrastructure before growth outpaces it and making county government more efficient, transparent and responsive.

What are some changes you’d like to see made during your time as Orange County mayor?

I want Orange County government to become faster, more responsive and more focused on results.

That includes modernizing permitting, improving customer service, using technology to deliver services more efficiently and making strategic investments in transportation that reduce congestion.

I also want Orange County to diversify its economy by attracting industries such as advanced manufacturing, defense technology, aerospace, life sciences, artificial intelligence and financial technology while continuing to support our tourism industry and small businesses.

Finally, I want residents to feel confident that their county government is planning for the future rather than simply reacting to growth.

What are the three most pressing issues facing Orange County?

The first is affordability. Families are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of housing. To lower the costs of housing, we need to increase the supply by streamlining permitting, encouraging more attainable and workforce housing, and supporting smart, well-planned growth.  

Second is transportation. Congestion affects our quality of life and our economy. We need investments in roads, intelligent traffic systems, mass transit and infrastructure before growth outpaces capacity. We need to ensure that we secure Orange County’s fair share of state and federal transportation funding.

Third is economic opportunity. We need to diversify our economy by attracting industries such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense technology, life sciences and financial technology. At the same time, we must strengthen workforce development and create stronger partnerships with our schools, colleges and employers so more residents can build successful careers here without leaving Central Florida.

Evaluate outgoing Mayor Jerry Demings’ performance in this role. What did he do well? What would you do differently?

Mayor Demings has provided steady leadership during an extraordinary period that included the pandemic, hurricanes and significant population growth. He deserves credit for helping Orange County navigate those challenges.

If elected, my emphasis would be on preparing Orange County for what’s next. I’d focus on making county government more efficient and responsive, accelerating infrastructure investments before growth creates additional strain, diversifying our economy and ensuring residents see measurable improvements in affordability, mobility and government performance.

Discuss your knowledge and familiarity with District 1 (Horizon West and other parts of unincorporated West Orange County) and its issues.

District 1 is one of the fastest-growing areas in Orange County, and with that growth comes tremendous opportunity as well as real challenges.

I’ve spent considerable time meeting with residents, business owners and community leaders throughout West Orange County. The issues I hear most often are congestion, school capacity, infrastructure keeping pace with growth, and maintaining parks and green space.

Growth should be accompanied by the roads, schools, utilities and public services residents need. As mayor, I’ll work to ensure infrastructure is built out alongside development while protecting the qualities that make West Orange such a desirable place to live.

Recently, the National Association of Home Builders announced it is pulling its convention out of Orlando. How should Orange County respond to this news? What is key in preventing more conventions from leaving the area?

Conventions generate significant economic activity for Orange County, supporting hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, retailers and thousands of local jobs.

Whenever we lose a major convention, we should carefully evaluate why it happened, learn from it and strengthen our competitiveness. That means continuing to strategically support our tourism industry, maintaining strong partnerships with industry stakeholders and ensuring visitors have a world-class experience.

The best way to retain and attract conventions is to remain one of the easiest, safest and most attractive places in the world to host large events.

Discuss your position on SunRail and the extent to which Orange County should be involved in the project.

SunRail should be viewed as part of a broader regional transportation strategy rather than a stand-alone project.

Orange County should continue working with regional partners to improve transit options that connect residents to jobs, education, health care and major employment centers. Success depends on reliability, frequency and making transit useful for everyday commuters.

I also support continuing efforts to improve regional connectivity, including better connections to Orlando International Airport and other key destinations, while ensuring investments are fiscally responsible and coordinated with road improvements and other transportation solutions.

What are your political aspirations, if any, beyond serving Orange County?

My focus is entirely on serving the residents of Orange County.

I’m running because I believe this community has extraordinary potential, and I want to dedicate my experience to making Orange County more affordable, more livable and full of opportunity for every resident. My priority is earning the trust of voters and delivering results if I’m elected mayor.