Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will allow Lee County voters to decide in 2026 whether they want to elect members of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners by district.
The bill, HB 4001 — Lee County, was introduced by state Rep. Mike Giallombardo, R-Cape Coral. Currently, commissioners are elected at-large, meaning voters from across the entire county choose all the commissioners. If voters approve the change in 2026, beginning in 2028, commissioners would be elected only by the voters within their respective districts. This would mean voters in one district would only be able to vote for the commissioner representing their area, rather than all countywide seats.
Under the current system, commissioners must live within their district but represent all voters in the county.
The bill has faced opposition from some county leaders. District 2 Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass expressed concern that the legislation could discourage commissioners from appealing to all county residents or addressing concerns outside their district. District 5 Commissioner Mike Greenwell also opposed the bill during its initial introduction in 2023. However, some residents from Greenwell’s district have supported the measure, citing an unsuccessful primary challenge to Greenwell in 2024, where the results would have been different if only District 5’s votes had been counted.
Rep. Giallombardo, who introduced the bill, has argued that the legislation would make the county’s government more representative. As of press time, he could not be reached for comment.
Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, the only member of the Lee County state delegation to oppose the bill, noted that her husband, David Mulicka, holds the District 3 seat on the county commission.
