Austin Arthur to enter Orange County Commission race

Austin Arthur, a longtime West Orange resident and business owner, has announced his candidacy for the Orange County Commission District 1 seat.

In a prepared statement, Arthur said he will file for the 2024 election Wednesday, Feb. 1. He is the first to announce a challenge to current County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who was elected to the seat in 2020.

“West Orange County is my home,” Arthur said. “It is where I started my business and where I decided to start a family. Our community on the west side of the county needs real representation on the Orange County Board of County Commissioners — someone ready to speak on behalf of all its residents on issues relevant to the commission’s duties. We need someone who believes in preserving the character of our communities and protecting our natural resources while simultaneously working on other issues our residents face.”

Arthur serves on several community boards, such as the city of Winter Garden’s Architectural Review and Historical Preservation Board, the West Orange Habitat for Humanity, Eight Waves Children & Family Services, Challenge 22 Veteran Suicide Awareness, Winter Garden Rotary Club, The West Orange Scholarship Foundation, One Winter Garden, and more. He is a past board member of the West Orange Political Alliance and is an active supporter of both the Lift Disability Network and Friends of Lake Apopka.

“I believe diversity of communities is important; not every area of the county is the same,” Arthur said. “We need to work closely with our municipalities and unincorporated areas to understand their different needs — some of which have a rich history to preserve and some of which are forging their character now in newly developed areas. I am running to keep the charm of West Orange with managed growth that the residents want.”

Arthur was a firefighter/paramedic prior to becoming a business owner in West Orange. Along with his brother, Zander Arthur, he opened in 2012 Stars and Stripes Management Systems, a Winter Garden-based digital marketing and website design company. In 2014, the brothers opened the Gymnastics USA, the largest gymnastics center in the state. 

Arthur and his wife live in Winter Garden with their three young children.