APOPKA, Fla. — The mayor of Apopka has sued his rival in the upcoming March election, saying that she hasn’t lived in the city as required by state law.
Bryan Nelson filed his lawsuit against Christine Moore on Tuesday.
The filing showed Nelson stopped by Moore’s house outside city limits 70 times between April and July, 2025 to photograph Moore’s car in the driveway.
Florida law requires a candidate to reside within a city’s limits for a year before their election.
“Moore failed to properly qualify as a candidate for the office of Mayor of Apopka,” the lawsuit said.
It also claimed Moore was further ineligible due to an administrative issue with the check she wrote to file to run.
Moore said she rented a room in Apopka and changed her driver’s license last year to fulfill state law.
She said the room rental, which was called out in Nelson’s lawsuit because of the owner’s political ties, was a necessity while she waited for her house to close.
Property records show Moore claimed a homestead exemption on her out-of-city house last year.
However, Moore pointed out that exemptions are only updated between January and March, and she planned to change her exemption to her in-city home in the coming days.
WFTV asked Moore if she slept in her in-city house every night. Moore said she stayed there, but not every night.
“I followed what the law told me to do,” Moore said, adding that she had consulted her attorney after reading the lawsuit. “He’s losing, that’s why he’s doing this.”
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