Incumbent Commissioners Terrye Howell and Robin Gibson Draw Opposition

Both Lake Wales city commission incumbents have drawn opposition for the upcoming municipal election Tuesday, April 7.

Gregory Barnard Massey is challenging longtime Commissioner Terrye Howell for Seat 3. Massey has lived in Lake Wales for 15 years and regularly attends commission meetings, but this is his first run for public office. Howell has been a city commissioner since 2005, except for one year when the district boundaries changed and her new seat was not yet up for election.

Bob Wood, who has run for mayor and commissioner in the past, is challenging Commissioner Robin Gibson for seat 5. Gibson was elected in 2016 and re-elected without opposition in 2018. In his first match-up with Gibson in 2016 in a 3-way race, Wood took 32 percent of the vote and Gibson got 52 percent. Former Commissioner Chris Lutton took 16 percent of the vote. In 2019 Wood got 45 percent of the vote in when he challenged incumbent Mayor Eugene Fultz.

The commissioners elected in April will serve 3-year terms, a one-year extension approved by voters in 2019.

Additional information on the candidates will be published in the near future.