Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer confirms he will not run again in 2027

“I wanted you to hear from me that I was asked during a media interview today if I plan to run for another term as Mayor,” the letter reads, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. “While this is the most rewarding job, my answer was — as I said when I was campaigning for this current term — that I do not plan to run again.”

Dyer hinted his current term would be his last during his re-election campaign in 2023. He remains the city’s longest-serving mayor.

Dyer, a former state senator, has served as Orlando’s mayor for more than 20 years. He campaigned initially as a progressive during his first bid for office in 2003 before, as former OW reporter Jeffrey C. Billman described it in 2006, settling into “a business-as-usual pol who prefers to conduct city affairs out of the sunshine.”

He nonetheless championed the city through the Pulse nightclub tragedy in 2016 and has remained “focused on making the promise of Orlando — ensuring a great quality of life for residents and expanding opportunity for all — a reality,” reads his official city biography.

Moves for his replacement are already in motion.

Orlando-area State Rep. Anna Eskamani announced in December she has filed to run to replace Mayor Dyer in 2027. In just weeks after her announcement, the 34-year-old progressive secured roughly $200,000 in contributions to support her campaign.

“I want to thank Mayor Dyer for nearly 25 years of service to The City Beautiful,” she wrote in a statement on X. “He has guided our city through significant growth, challenges, and achievements. Orlando’s future is bright, and I’m grateful for his contributions to getting us here.”

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This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2025.