Election 2026 | Question of the Week, Week 2, 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: What are your top three issues and why?
• Lisa Cohen-Adkinson
Lowering taxes while working to remove all the non-ad valorem that are not protected by our homestead benefits, then safeguarding the residents by requiring a ballot initiative to add any new non-ad valorem to the tax bill moving forward to stop the backdoor ways of working around the Save Our Homes Act.
Fix the failing infrastructure that has been ignored for too long, while developers are building monstrosities that block the sunshine on our commute to work each morning on the Parkway. Every time we pour concrete, we create more flooding for the community.
Stop the wasteful spending. While some on council brag about a lowered the millage rate and keeping it low for the last few years, your property taxes have gone up 47% over the last five years.
• Richard Erickson
My top priority is restoring fiscal responsibility by eliminating wasteful spending and focusing taxpayer dollars on essential services, like the UEP. Second, we must fix our permitting process so families and businesses aren’t trapped by unnecessary delays and bureaucracy. Third, we need responsible growth that protects our neighborhoods while ensuring developers pay their fair share for the infrastructure their projects require. Cape Coral has tremendous potential, but we need disciplined leadership that listens to residents, manages growth wisely, and returns city government to its proper mission, serving the people instead of expanding government.
• John Gunter (I)
My top three issues are public safety, infrastructure, and the budget. Public safety is my first priority because our residents expect and deserve a safe community, and I want our strong record and support for police and fire to continue. Infrastructure is next, including transportation and utility expansion, so we can keep up with growth and preserve the quality of life our community enjoys. Our biggest challenge will be balancing the budget while maintaining the levels of service our residents expect in our growing city. I will continue to focus on responsible spending to protect taxpayers while meeting our city’s current and future needs.
• Richard Leon
Because government exists to serve the people, my top three priorities are restoring fiscal responsibility, investing in infrastructure, and keeping Cape Coral safe. Every tax dollar was earned by someone and should be treated with respect. Responsible budgeting ensures government focuses on essential services, not unnecessary spending. Investing in roads, utilities, and public facilities keeps pace with growth and prepares our city for the future. By protecting our neighborhoods and supporting those who keep us safe, every family can thrive and every generation inherits a Cape Coral worthy of its future.
• Kara Brooke Rodgers
My top three issues are: (1) advancing the UEP while reducing the cost to residents; (2) ensuring infrastructure development matches new commercial and residential development; and (3) attracting high-wage jobs and working with schools to increase our local talent pool. Advancing the UEP is crucial to long-term sustainability, but residents are struggling with the cost of installation, and we need to meaningfully address this. Similarly, we need to ensure that we are maintaining and updating infrastructure to match our growth. Finally, attracting high-wage jobs will increase economic opportunity, but we need to build a local talent pipeline to support that.
• Dan Sheppard
• I want to convince the council and community that working together in a positive way we can achieve more.
• Keep the city moving forward in a positive manner and continue on a path that is a magnet to new investment.
• I would work with the council to modernize procurement policies by using technology to find the best prices and on-demand delivery, rather than relying on single suppliers for every purchase. For smaller projects, I would also review hiring requirements to ensure they don’t unnecessarily exclude qualified small businesses because of company size, insurance, or experience standards. While some requirements must remain strict, I believe there are opportunities to make others more flexible, encourage competition, and better support local businesses.