The race to become interim commissioner of District 5 in Orlando is heating up.
With the match being awarded to Shaniqua “Shan” Rose and Travaris McCurdy, questions have surfaced about Rose’s forced departure from a job at Orlando City Hall, along with others about McCurdy’s arrest history, which were highlighted in a mailer published was sent by a secret group that may be ignoring state election laws.
Ultimately, voters will decide between the two in the coming weeks, with early voting beginning on Monday and Election Day on June 18.
The winner will take office shortly thereafter and represent a district in central and west Orlando until the end of the term first won by suspended Commissioner Regina Hill in 2025, or leave sooner if the criminal charges against her are resolved. benefit is processed.
Last month’s first seven-way race ended with Rose and McCurdy leaving the field for a spot in the second round. Rose led the way with 24.8% of the vote, or 527 votes, while McCurdy was in second place with 23.3%, or 495 votes.
Since then, the two have been closely monitored.
Secret ad targeting McCurdy’s arrest history
An inflammatory ad has been distributed to voters throughout the district by mail, email and hand-delivered by poll workers featuring a photo of McCurdy along with his arrest history for various offenses ranging from carrying a concealed weapon to minor thefts and speeding.
What the ad doesn’t say — but a review of publicly available records and a statement from McCurdy shows — is that he has not been found guilty of any of these crimes. The ad does say that McCurdy was once accused of “carrying a concealed weapon as a convicted felon,” a charge that appears in at least one online database, but the Orange County Court clerk has no record of that.
“I am not a convicted felon. I made mistakes many years ago as a young and impressionable man, but I have never been convicted of a crime,” McCurdy’s statement read. “I learned from my past and worked hard to get where I am today.”
The ad is attributed to “Friends of District 5,” which is not registered with the Division of Corporations, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections or the Florida Division of Elections. It’s unclear who created it: a message to an email address associated with the group has not been confirmed. Rose says her campaign is not related to the ad.
Glenn Burhans, a Tallahassee election attorney not involved in the campaign, said a group like this doesn’t have to register under state law until it has made an expenditure of at least $5,000. However, the advertisement does not mention the address of the responsible organization and therefore does not comply with state regulations in that regard.
“The non-compliant disclaimer, the fact that the entity is not registered, raises some concerns,” he said. “But they may not have reached the registration threshold, so there may not be a violation (of that rule). We simply don’t have enough information to know.”
On one side of the ad are several charges against McCurdy, dating back to the early 2000s – in recent years he has only faced traffic and toll violations – alleging that his history is at odds with his goals to reduce crime in the district.
On the back of the document, McCurdy was listed for his “F grade” from the Florida Chamber of Commerce. A failing grade from that group is often a point of pride for Democratic state lawmakers, which is what McCurdy previously was.
“Unfortunately, anonymous bad actors have launched illegal attacks on my campaign for city commission,” he wrote on Facebook. “Why? Because they fear our movement for safer streets, more affordable housing, and real solutions to Orlando’s biggest challenges.”
Rose was fired from her city job
Rose, whose experience at City Hall informs her campaign, was fired as an administrative specialist in 2019 after her supervisors said she repeatedly sent misleading emails to city leaders and partners “in an authoritative manner” that should have come from her bosses . Rose was ordered to stop, but persisted, records show.
Her termination was first reported by WKMG.
In an interview, Rose said she sent emails to various city departments in an effort to help the Parramore neighborhood and reduce red tape.
City investigators said they also discovered false information on her resume about a previous job at a company called Brands and Roses Services “and that the false information provided qualified you for your position.” Asked about the statement, Rose said: “They wanted to find a reason to fire me.”
She filed a pair of grievances against the city through the SEIU union that represented her, both of which were dismissed, records show, and pursued arbitration.
As part of a separation agreement with the city, Rose agreed to no longer pursue arbitration and to drop a discrimination charge against the city that she filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission nine months before her dismissal. As part of the deal, she received $18,326, or 120 days at her regular rate of pay.
“Know that I fought when I was in town … and I will fight as the next county commissioner,” she said in an interview.
rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com
