Two votes this election cycle you cannot afford to miss
By Butch Swank
If you live in District 5, you have seen this before.
You organize, you show up, you support someone who reflects your community, and when the votes are counted, the outcome is decided somewhere else.
That is not a one time occurrence. That is how the system is built.
I have seen this firsthand. Through my work as President of the Southwest Florida Business Alliance, my time serving on the executive committee of the Lee County Economic Development Horizon Council, and my continued involvement representing economic development concerns that directly impact District 5, along with my role on the County School Board Audit Committee, I have had a front row seat to how decisions are made and who they ultimately serve.
Too often, District 5 is not at the center of those decisions.
Why Choose Amanda Cochran for Lee County Commissioner, District 5
I want to be clear about this upfront. I am asking you to vote for Amanda Cochran in the Lee County Republican Primary, which is open only to registered Republicans.
I know Amanda Cochran personally. What you see in public is who she is in private. She listens, she shows up, she does the work, and she understands this county in a way that cannot be manufactured.
Her roots here run deep. Generations of her family have lived, worked, and built in Lee County. Long before most of us were here, her family was helping shape East County and the surrounding communities. That matters, because understanding this place is not something you pick up overnight.
In my conversations with her and in watching her campaign, one thing has always stood out. She is not chasing a position. She is running because she understands what is at stake.
She has been consistent about the need for balance. Growth that is planned, infrastructure that keeps up, water that is protected, and schools and healthcare that are not constantly playing catch up.
She is focused on real issues that affect real people, not political talking points. And she has already proven she can earn the support of District 5.
In the last primary, Amanda received roughly 65 percent of the District 5 vote. In her own precinct, that number was even higher. On Election Day, among those who showed up in person, she won decisively.
District 5 chose Amanda Cochran.
But District 5 did not get Amanda Cochran.
The final outcome was driven by mail in ballots and votes from outside the district, largely from Cape Coral and Fort Myers precincts. People who were not here during the campaign and who do not live with the consequences of these decisions.
Many of those votes were influenced by years of noise and mischaracterization surrounding Mike Greenwell, not based on the realities of this district but on narratives that had little to do with the day to day life of the people who live here.
That is how District 5 lost its voice.
The Reality of the Opposition
The current occupant of the District 5 seat was not elected by the people of District 5. She was appointed following the passing of Mike Greenwell.
She does not have deep roots here. She was brought into this district and does not carry the lived understanding of the people she is supposed to represent.
What she does have is support from a political structure that depends on maintaining control through the current system.
That system works very well for those interests. It does not work for District 5.
The Vote That Actually Decides This Race
Here is the part that continues to surprise people.
This race will be decided in the Republican primary.
If you are not registered as a Republican, you will not be able to vote for Amanda Cochran in the election that determines who wins this seat. By the time the general election arrives, the decision has already been made.
That means many people who care about this race lose their voice simply because they are not registered with a party. Not because they are Democrats, but because they are unaffiliated.
That is a problem in itself. But it is the system we are operating in today.
Key dates for Lee County:
- Deadline to register as a Republican to vote in this race: July 22
- Republican Primary Election Day: August 20
If you want to vote for Amanda Cochran, you must be registered as a Republican by July 22. If you miss that deadline, you will not have a say in who represents District 5.
The Bigger Fix: Single Member Districts
Even if we get this election right, the larger issue remains.
Lee County is approaching one million residents. It cannot be governed as if every district is interchangeable.
We should have moved to single member districts years ago, when the county passed 500,000 people.
Single member districts mean one simple thing. The people of District 5 choose the commissioner for District 5.
No override. No dilution. No outside votes determining local representation.
It is the only way to guarantee that what happened in the last election does not continue to happen.
The Bottom Line
This election cycle comes down to two votes that actually matter.
First, the Republican primary on August 20, with a registration deadline of July 22, where District 5 has the opportunity to elect Amanda Cochran, a candidate who has earned the trust of this community and understands it at its core.
Second, the vote for single member districts in the General Election on November 5, which ensures that going forward, District 5 will always have a voice that cannot be overridden.
One corrects what happened. The other prevents it from happening again.
If you live in District 5, this is your moment to be heard.
