Ormond Beach Elects Its First Female Mayor: Tolland, DeVriese Win Outright; Zone 4 Headed to a Runoff

Deputy Mayor and Zone 1 Commissioner Lori Tolland won the mayor's race outright with 51.26% of the vote, just clearing the majority threshold needed to avoid a runoff. Incumbent Mayor Jason Leslie finished second with 30.50%, followed by Damien Curry at 11.45% and George Doran at 6.79%. A total of 10,609 people voted in the mayoral race.

Tolland, first elected to the commission in 2022 and reelected without opposition in 2024, said she had mentally braced herself for a runoff and was caught off guard by the outright win. “The amount of support that I have, with family and friends, is just amazing,” Tolland said at her election night gathering at Houligans. “All these people here, they didn't have to help me. They really are just amazing because they love Ormond Beach and they know that I do too. I share the same values they do, the same vision.”

Her win means Ormond Beach will need to fill the Zone 1 seat she is vacating, a race that was decided the same night.

Melissa DeVriese, president of Security First Insurance, won the open Zone 1 seat with 51.24% of the vote, also avoiding a runoff. Alan Burton finished second with 25.70%, and Coleen McMahon came in third with 23.06%. Turnout in the Zone 1 race was 3,175 voters.

DeVriese, a native of Ormond Beach whose father, former state Sen. Locke Burt, founded Security First, credited her local roots and business experience for the win. “Hopefully, voters saw that I have a lot of experience in this area, as far as growing up here, running a business here, volunteering here, and they believe that I can do a good job,” she said.

DeVriese had also led the field in fundraising throughout the campaign, reporting roughly $68,585 in donations, well ahead of Burton's $14,861 and McMahon's $7,128.

Neither candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to win Zone 4 outright, so the race will be decided in the Nov. 3 general election. Incumbent Harold Briley led the field with 41.88% of the vote, followed closely by challenger Amber Bobak at 38.82%. Barry du Moulin trailed with 19.30%, and will not advance. Zone 4 saw the lowest turnout of the three contested races, with 2,218 voters.

Briley, seeking a third term, said he felt good about the overall results of the primary. “I still feel the city is moving in the right direction,” he said. “I think that showed tonight with mayor-elect Tolland's victory.” He noted the low turnout in his own race and said he remains optimistic heading into November. “It's my honor and privilege to be their Zone 4 representative, and I just ask for their trust and support and their vote in November.”

Bobak, who currently serves on the city's Planning Board, said she was surprised by how close the results were, finishing just 68 votes behind Briley.

Tolland and DeVriese will be sworn in to their new roles, while the city will also need to fill the Zone 1 seat DeVriese is stepping into. Briley and Bobak will face off again in the Nov. 3 general election, alongside the city's Zone 2 and Zone 3 races, which were uncontested primaries and will also be decided that day.

Ormond Beach Buzz will continue following the runoff campaign and transition at City Hall in the weeks ahead.