Election 2026 | Question of the Week, Week 1, Mayor’s Race
Each week through the Primary, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question. In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response.
Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan races. Council members qualify in their respective districts but are elected at-large. This means all registered city voters may cast a ballot in each race regardless of where they live and the party to which they are affiliated, if any. This year’s Primary, on Aug. 18, features three Cape Coral City Council races: Mayor and the seats for District 1 and 6. District 4, with only two candidates, will be on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.
The candidates below are running for the mayor’s seat on the Cape Coral City Council:
Question of the Week: Why are you running? What are the planks of your platform?
• Lisa Cohen-Adkinson
I am running to make sure that we can afford to live here in the next five years.
Fix Cape Coral’s failing infrastructure, while investing in city employees & departments. Stop wasteful government spending, with full accountability by cutting the fat at the top!
No more pet projects while families struggle putting food on the table. All while threatening emails go out to city staff that they could lose their jobs if the $250k homestead exemption increase goes through. Why are our tax dollars being used to work against homeowners’ best interests?
UEP: Explore all options after a full audit, while fighting to repeal the 2014 Amendment to FS 255.20 that limits the in-house departments from saving the homeowners large amounts of money on the utilities expansion project.
• Richard Erickson
I’m running because Cape Coral needs leadership that puts residents ahead of politics, special interests, and wasteful spending. After 32 years serving our nation in the U.S. Army, I know leadership means accountability, integrity, and delivering results. My campaign is built on restoring trust in city government by fixing the broken permitting process, protecting taxpayers through fiscal responsibility, improving transparency, supporting public safety, preserving our quality of life, and ensuring growth pays for itself instead of burdening residents.
I’ll focus on core city services, responsible infrastructure, protecting our waterways and neighborhoods, and leading with honor every day.
• John Gunter (I)
I’m running to keep Cape Coral moving forward with proven results. I’m a results-based mayor, and together we’ve delivered three new firehouses, a fire training facility, a police training facility, and hired 80 new police officers and 80 firefighters. I value public safety and fully support our police officers and firefighters, and I help our Fire Department achieve national accreditation. We’ve also lowered the millage rate from 6.75 to 5.14, the lowest in any eight-year period in our city’s history. My platform is to ensure our public safety record and achievements continue, keep taxes low, address transportation needs, and expand utilities with minimal local funding by pursuing state and federal grants.
• Richard Leon
Government exists to serve the people, not the other way around. That’s why we deserve leadership that puts people before government and listens before it leads. I will fight for transparency and accountability, invest in infrastructure that keeps pace with our growth, strengthen our economy through responsible budgeting and support for local businesses, and keep public safety our highest priority. I will lead with integrity, fiscal discipline, and common sense while making sure every resident has a voice.
My promise is simple, to leave Cape Coral stronger, safer, more prosperous, and more united than I found it.
• Kara Brooke Rodgers
I am running because I believe that our city needs leadership that will critically evaluate the challenges our city is facing and prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term benefits. My top priorities if elected would be: (1) pushing progress on the UEP forward while defraying the cost to residents; (2) focusing on smart growth where infrastructure development matches new commercial and residential development; (3) protecting and preserving environmentally sensitive areas; (4) attracting high-wage jobs and working with schools and colleges to increase our local talent pool; and (5) critically analyzing our budget to identify inefficiencies.
• Dan Sheppard
I am running to be mayor to protect the quality of life we have in our city, to help bring unity to council to work as a team, and to keep the city moving in a positive way that benefits all citizens. Supporting and lifting our local business and entrepreneurs by simplifying the bureaucracy that holds so many back.
Working on a path to get the Yacht Club completed so families can continue to make memories. Continue focusing on the path to our magnet that brings quality investments to our city to pay for our much needed infrastructure and safety for the wellbeing of our families.