Ormond Beach Voters Head to the Polls Tuesday: What to Know Before You Cast Your Ballot

Incumbent Mayor Jason Leslie is seeking a second term. Leslie briefly ran for the Florida House District 29 seat before withdrawing in March to refile for mayor. A commercial real estate and e-commerce business owner who has lived in Ormond Beach for less than six years, Leslie is campaigning on “smart growth,” infrastructure improvements, and environmental protection, pointing to his first term as a foundation to build on.

His chief rival is Lori Tolland, the city's current deputy mayor and Zone 1 commissioner, who has represented that zone since 2022. A retired registered nurse and 37-year resident of Ormond Beach, Tolland previously served on the city's Planning Board and Leisure Services Advisory Board. She has led the mayoral field in fundraising, reporting roughly $100,850 in campaign donations. Tolland has emphasized flood mitigation (she currently sits on a city stormwater committee) and keeping property taxes low.

Also on the ballot is Damien Curry, a 26-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, Volusia County lifeguard and owner of Garden Boys Landscaping. This is Curry's first run for office. He describes himself as nonpartisan with “no political agendas,” and says his priorities are fiscal responsibility, keeping costs manageable for seniors on fixed incomes, and managing development and infrastructure.

The fourth candidate is George Doran, a deputy fire chief with the Cross Creek Volunteer Fire Department in Alachua County and a former Army National Guard member who moved to Ormond Beach about three years ago. Doran has said he wants to focus on “the basics,” including public safety, utilities, and retaining city workers such as police and fire personnel.

With Tolland vacating her Zone 1 seat to run for mayor, three newcomers are competing to replace her.

Coleen McMahon, a registered nurse and national director of business development for a home-health agency, was the first to file, entering the race last August. She has lived in Ormond Beach for about two and a half years.

Melissa Burt DeVriese, a native of Ormond Beach and president of Security First Insurance, has raised the most money in the race, about $68,585. She has served on several local nonprofit and business boards, including Easterseals Florida.

Alan Burton owns real estate appraisal firm Burton Valuation and has lived in the city for 30 years. A past director of the city's Leisure Services department, Burton later served as an elected supervisor for the Volusia Soil & Water Conservation District and helped launch the ReGrow the Loop tree-restoration initiative.

The Zone 1 race has also sparked a pointed local debate over River Bend Golf Course, with candidates sparring over how to handle the shuttered course.

Incumbent Harold Briley, a lifelong Ormond Beach resident and real estate agent, is seeking another term after previously serving on the city's Planning Board.

He faces Barry du Moulin, a retired U.S. Coast Guard inspector who has lived in the city for a decade and serves on the Municipal Firefighters' Pension Trust Fund advisory board, and Amber Bobak, a recently appointed Planning Board member who has lived in Ormond Beach since childhood and works as an office administrator for Cains Electric. Bobak has pointed to traffic, development pressure and environmental stewardship as top issues facing the zone.

Election Day polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at your regular precinct. Early voting ran through Aug. 15 at nine sites countywide, including the Ormond Beach Regional Library. Voters can look up their precinct and City Commission zone using the interactive map on the city's website, ormondbeach.org. Questions about voter registration or mail ballots can be directed to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections at 386-254-4690.

Ormond Beach Buzz will be following returns as polls close Tuesday night.