Former Lake Wales Commissioner Curtis Gibson to Challenge Mayor Jack Hilligoss in April 1 Election

Two candidates have qualified for the Lake Wales mayoral election slated for April 1, 2025.

Incumbent Mayor Jack Hilligoss will face a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson. Hilligoss is the pastor of High Point Church in Lake Wales, while Gibson is the manager of the Eagle Ridge Mall.

The election will also feature a referendum on future elections that, if approved, will require a run-off vote in the case of multiple-candidate races where no one receives a majority vote of 50 percent plus one.

Robert Connors

Mayor Jack Hilligoss will be on the ballot on April 1 as he faces a challenge from former city commissioner Curtis Gibson.

Robert Connors

Former City Commissioner Curtis Gibson, manager of the Eagle Ridge Mall, will face incumbent mayor and pastor Jack Hilligoss in the April 1 vote for Lake Wales residents.

That provision could have affected two recent municipal races in which candidates were elected with only a plurality. Hilligoss was originally elected in a three-way race by capturing only 43.75 percent of the votes cast, or 1,126 votes. Tammy James finished with 32.13 percent, or 827, while Gibson Curtis Gibson tallied 24.13 percent, or 621 votes in the three-way contest.

A three-way race for the city commission District 2 seat last year left incumbent Daniel Williams leading challenger Brandon Alvarado by one vote, 939 to 938. A second challenger, Crystal Higbee, ran a distant third, gathering 347 votes, or 15.6%. Williams eventually kept his seat by a four-vote margin after a recount.

If approved by voters, the city charter will be modified to require that all commissioners and the mayor be elected by a majority of the votes cast. Low turnouts in city elections make every vote more important, as the winners typically receive the support of only about 10 percent of eligible city voters.