Bryan Nelson

Nelson was born in Orlando and attended the University of Florida, where he graduated with a degree in ornamental horticulture in 1979. After graduation, he returned to Central Florida, where he worked in his family's business, Nelson's Florida Roses. Nelson then started Nelson Insurance Services in 1995 as a means of providing his family's business with insurance, and it expanded from there. In 2002, he was appointed to the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission, and served as its chairman in 2006.

When incumbent State Representative Fred Brummer was unable to seek another term in the legislature and instead opted to run for the Orange County Commission, Nelson ran to succeed him in the 38th District, which was based in northern Orange County, stretching from Apopka to Ocoee, Orlando, and Maitland. He won the Republican primary and the general election entirely uncontested. In 2008, he faced his first opponents: Lonnie Thompson, the Democratic nominee, and Lawrence Fisher, an independent candidate. The Orlando Sentinel endorsed Thompson over Nelson, observing, "[H]e better appreciates the important issues facing the district than does his opponent," and criticizing Nelson for not protecting the Wekiva River and for not supporting property-insurance reforms.{{cite web|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-10-09/news/ed091_1_scott-randolph-district-36-lonnie-thompson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214114741/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-10-09/news/ed091_1_scott-randolph-district-36-lonnie-thompson|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 14, 2013|title=We think: Thompson, Randolph and Adams are the best picks in three key Central Florida districts|date=October 9, 2008|accessdate=December 9, 2013|work=Orlando Sentinel}} Despite this fact, Nelson won his second term over Thompson by a solid margin of victory, winning 54% of the vote to Thompson's 43% and Fisher's 3%. When Nelson ran for a third term in 2010, he did not face a Democratic opponent, but instead a member of the Florida Tea Party, James Heinzelman. Nelson ran on a platform of "repealing parts of SB 550, which would impose a five-year inspection schedule on septic tanks," which he said would lead to a "bureaucratic and costly nightmare" and on supporting SunRail, which Heinzeilman vocally opposed.{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2010/10/25/candidates-in-state-house-district-38-say-they-want-to-protect-taxpayers/|title=Candidates in State House District 38 say they want to protect taxpayers|date=October 25, 2010|access-date=December 9, 2013|work=Orlando Sentinel|first=Victor Manuel|last=Ramos}} Ultimately, Heinzelman did not prove to be a significant challenge for Nelson, and he won re-election with 82% of the vote. In 2012, when the legislative districts were redrawn, Nelson was moved into the 31st District, which, like his previous district, was based in Apopka, but unlike his previous district, stretched into northern Lake County and won re-election to his fourth term entirely unopposed.

In 2013, Nelson announced that he would run for the Orange County Commission in District 2 to replace term-limited Commissioner Fred Brummer, whom he previously replaced in the legislature. He was able to defeat his Democratic opponent, Vice Mayor Alvin Moore, Sr. of Eatonville, Florida in the general election process in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/blogs/political-pulse/os-nelson-leads-outside-donor-chase-in-orange-race-20130415,0,910591.post|title=Rep. Nelson takes outside donation lead in Orange race with help from capital friends|date=April 15, 2013|accessdate=December 9, 2013|work=Orlando Sentinel|first=David|last=Damron}}

Nelson ran for mayor of Apopka in 2018 where he beat incumbent Joe Kilsheimer. Part of Nelson's campaign involved him halving the salary of the mayor, however, after being elected and taking a lower salary, he raised it back higher than what it was before.{{Cite web |last=Board |first=Orlando Sentinel Editorial |title=Bryan Nelson’s big fat raise in Apopka makes his campaign promise a big fat lie {{!}} Editorial |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/os-op-bryan-nelson-apopka-mayor-big-raise-20191007-lzon7yfmabgx3kinhdd6av5qda-story.html |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=chicagotribune.com |language=en-US}} During his second term beginning in 2022, Nelson generated large amounts of controversy regarding the death of Austin Duran [https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/apopka-firefighter-austin-duran-dies-after-being-hurt-on-the-job], a member of the Apopka Fire Department who died after a work related accident. After a vote of no confidence from the fire department and a majority vote from the city council, the mayor refused to remove the fire chief from his duties.{{Cite web |title=Apopka council wants to ax fire chief, city attorney; mayor says no |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-orange-apopka-fire-chief-20230406-hx6oy6ofvjhyzdi3yiofd5m2ua-story.html |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Orlando Sentinel}} After these controversies, Apopka residents started a petition to recall the mayor.{{Cite web |title=Apopka citizens launch recall effort against mayor |url=https://news.yahoo.com/apopka-citizens-launch-recall-effort-033340379.html |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4362 Florida House of Representatives - Bryan Nelson]
• [http://votebnelson.com/ Nelson for Orange County Commission]

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Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives

Category:Politicians from Orlando, Florida

Category:University of Florida alumni

Category:Mayors of places in Florida

Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature