1996 Orlando mayoral election

1996 Orlando mayoral election

←  1992 April 16, 1996 2000  →

Candidate Glenda Hood Steve Villard Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 7,492 1,448 Percentage 82.58% 15.96%

Mayor before election Glenda Hood Nonpartisan Elected mayor Glenda Hood Nonpartisan

The 1996 Orlando mayoral election took place on April 16, 1996. In 1993, Orange County Supervisor of Elections Betty Carter banned municipalities from holding their elections on the same day as statewide primary and general elections, citing financial and logistical costs. Accordingly, this was the first Orlando mayoral election to be held in April. ^[1]

Incumbent Mayor Glenda Hood ran for re-election to a second term. She was challenged by auto repairman Steve Villard, and entertainer Bonita Banana ran as a write-in candidate. The Orlando Sentinel endorsed Hood for re-election as "a strong formidable leader, creating programs to help both neighborhoods and businesses flourish." ^[2] Hood won re-election in a landslide, receiving 83 perfect of the vote to Villard's 16 percent. Turnout significantly decreased following the shift to an April election, with fewer than 13 percent of voters casting ballots. ^[3]

General election

Candidates

• Glenda Hood, incumbent Mayor ^[4]
• Steve Villard, auto repairman ^[5]
• Bonita Conchita Martita Havana Banana-Pulovsky, entertainer and impersonator (write-in) ^[6]

Results

1996 mayoral election results ^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Glenda Hood (inc.)	7,492	82.58%
	Nonpartisan	Steve Villard	1,448	15.96%
	Nonpartisan	Bonita Conchita Martita Havana Banana-Pulovsky (write-in)	132	1.46%
Total votes			9,072	100.00%

References

1. Shields, Gerard (February 11, 1994). "Counties elect to go separate way". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. C-1. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
2. "Hood earns confidence". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. April 7, 1996. p. G-2. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
3. Owens, Sherri (April 17, 1996). "Hood wins re-election by landslide". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. A-1. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
4. Tracy, Dan (July 26, 1995). "Mayor prepares for '96". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. C-3. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
5. Tracy, Dan (February 24, 1996). "15 beat deadline for filing to enter Orlando city races". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. p. D-3. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
6. Santich, Kate (January 21, 1996). "What ever happened to ... Bonita Banana, unsuccessful Tampa mayoral candidate". Florida Magazine . Orlando, Florida. p. 4. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
7. "Election Results 1990-1998" (PDF). Orlando City Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2025.