Kamia Brown Files for Orange County Commission District 2

Former state Rep. Kamia Brown has filed to run for the Orange County Commission’s District 2 seat, bringing a familiar name back into Central Florida politics with a campaign built around affordability and accountable local government.

Brown represented Pine Hills, Apopka and Ocoee in the Florida House from 2016 to 2022, rising to serve as House Democratic Leader Pro Tempore from 2020 to 2022 and earning election as Chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus in 2022. She sought a state Senate seat that same year but lost to Geraldine Thompson. Now she’s shifting her focus from Tallahassee to west Orange County, where she argues local government has the most direct power to ease the financial pressures families are already feeling.

“Residents in every corner of Orange County feel the stresses of everyday life and I chose to run for County Commission because local governments can make life better for families by advancing real solutions,” Brown said. “This campaign is about strengthening the future of District 2.”

District 2 covers a wide swath of west Orange County, including Apopka, Ocoee, Tangerine and Zellwood. The seat is a nonpartisan one, and Brown is not running alone. Attorney Marsha Summersill and Ocoee City Commissioner George Oliver III have also entered the race, setting up a competitive contest in a region that has seen significant population growth and with it, mounting pressure on housing costs, infrastructure and public services.

The seat is currently held by Commissioner Christine Moore, who advanced to a runoff next month in the Apopka Mayor’s race. Moore has indicated she plans to step down from her County Commission post in April, which creates an unusual opening. If Moore exits before the term ends, Gov. Ron DeSantis could appoint someone to fill the remaining eight months, potentially giving one candidate a significant incumbency advantage heading into the election cycle.

Brown’s campaign is centering on the economic anxieties driving voters across the region. Her stated priorities include affordable health care, workforce development, economic growth and efficient government. Those themes echo what she pushed during her time in the House, but she’s framing them now as hyperlocal concerns requiring county-level action.

“The decisions we make today will shape West Orange County for decades to come,” Brown said. “I am committed to responsible growth, strong neighborhoods, and a county government that is transparent, accountable, and focused on the people it serves.”

She also addressed the broader question of public trust in government, a concern that resonates in communities that have watched rapid development reshape their neighborhoods without always feeling heard in the process.

“Public service is a responsibility, not a title,” Brown said. “I will always put this community first.”

For voters in Pine Hills, Apopka and Ocoee who remember Brown from her legislative years, her entry into this race signals a politician who views the county commission not as a step down but as the arena where real change happens for working families. Whether that argument lands will depend partly on how she distinguishes herself from Summersill and Oliver III in the months ahead.

Brown kicks off her campaign at 5:30 p.m. on March 30 at Odd Guys Brewing, located at 48 E. Fifth St. in Apopka. The event will give supporters in her former House district an early look at the candidate and a platform she’s clearly been shaping since her 2022 Senate loss.

With Moore’s departure looming, the District 2 race is shaping up as one of the more consequential local contests in Orange County this cycle. Growth, affordability and the question of who has DeSantis’s ear on a potential appointment will all factor into how this plays out. Brown is betting that her legislative experience and community ties give her the edge. Her opponents will be working just as hard to convince west Orange County voters otherwise.