Universal primary is at play in District 5 race

Jul 17, 2026 By NATHAN MAYBERG 9 min read

District 5 Lee County Commissioner Trish Petrosky and her Republican challenger Amanda Cochran have each identified what they believe Lee County voters feel is the major issue facing the county: The threat of overdevelopment.

Whichever candidate can convince voters they are the right candidate to tackle that issue, could hold the keys to the race between the two Alva residents.

The District 5 race is open to all voters regardless of party affiliation or the district in which they live.

As there are only two candidates, the race will be determined in a rare “Universal Primary” on Aug. 18. All registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in this race.

County commissioners are also elected “at large” meaning that while District 5 covers an area that includes Alva, Buckingham, Lehigh Acres, Olga, and the outermost northeastern section of North Fort Myers, the seat is elected by all county voters.

For Petrosky, 35, she is defending her appointment to the former seat of the late Mike Greenwell by Gov. Ron DeSantis last December.

A former executive assistant at Evangelical Christian School, and former Realtor, Petrosky’s appointment was a surprise to some due to her lack of political experience. Petrosky served as a member of the Naples Area Board of Realtors and the Bonita Estero Realtors Association, and had been supported politically by State Rep. Tiffany Esposito.

Cochran, had put in for the same appointment after narrowly losing a primary challenge to Greenwell in 2024. The 50-year-old resident is the co-owner of RE/MAX River & Ranch, and has made her name speaking out against development projects in and around Alva.

She opposed the placement of a new high school in Alva that is meant to accommodate the growing population in Lehigh Acres and which has an estimated cost of $162 million.

Cochran, a sixth-generation Lee County resident, has made note of her longtime ties to the region.

Originally from West Palm Beach, Petrosky moved to Lee County 15 years ago. Petrosky lived in Fort Myers before buying a home in Alva in October.

The issues

Trish Petrosky (I)

Petrosky said there is a “resounding cry” regarding overdevelopment, traffic and public safety in the county that she is hearing from voters. She said her district is feeling the pressures of overdevelopment most, but said it’s being felt countywide.

“It’s all over the county,” Petrosky said. “I think in my district, you are going to hear it most. They are seeing the newest parts of it. The entire county is growing right now, so everybody is feeling the pressure of the overdevelopment.”

Petrosky said Alva “has a rural character and we are trying very hard to preserve that rural character.”

Petrosky said input from residents regarding developments will impact her decisions on future development projects, and said she can use those concerns to add conditions to project approvals.

Regarding traffic from new projects, she said she believes the county can use technology to address traffic issues.

Regarding the 10,000 home Kingston project off Corkscrew Road in Estero, which Lee County commissioners approved previous to Petrosky’s time on the board, Petrosky said she believes a new road being built by the developers can help alleviate increased traffic.

That project is the subject of a lawsuit from Florida Audubon, who are challenging approvals from the Army Corps of Engineers. The project had been opposed by environmental groups concerned about its impact on the endangered Florida panther population in that area, as well as local bird populations. A study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the project could lead to an increased number of panther fatalities from vehicle collisions.

Petrosky said she believes that Cameratta Properties has mitigated those concerns. Petrosky said that Cameratta Properties is also planning to place a K-12 school on its property. The county had opposed a proposed mine on the site and then reached a settlement to allow the home construction.

“They are creating more green space than that area has had before,” Petrosky said. “We are restoring some of our flow ways in the process. It is going to be a better long-term opportunity for that region.”

Petrosky said she has gone on listening tours throughout the county during her first seven months on the county commission. That listening tour led her to working on veteran health care issues with state and federal agencies.

Petrosky said she has heard concerns about the safety of roads throughout the county due to speeding and traffic.

Regarding Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program, Petrosky said she believes the county has already reached the goal of the conservation program. She wants to use funds in the voter-approved land acquisition program for flood mitigation work.

Petrosky said she supports the state referendum to increase the homestead property tax exemption to up to $250,000.

“I, as a conservative, am always looking for options to cut taxes wherever we can,” Petrosky said adding there are cost-of-living issues in the county.

“We are not going to sacrifice our services, and we are always going to make our public safety and health a priority,” Petrosky said. “You can’t cut your way out of this one.”

“There is going to be costs, there is going to be adjustments.”

Petrosky said she wouldn’t identify any one program or an area of the budget that may need to be cut if the exemption goes through but said she wouldn’t support cuts to public safety. Petrosky said county commissioners will have a meeting with staff to address the potential budget impacts of the exemption increase.

The county has estimated that there could be a $240 million loss in property tax revenue in 2028 as a result of the expansion of the property tax exemption.

Petrosky is proud of the work the county has been doing on Fort Myers Beach, with the completion of the Big Carlos Pass Bridge recently with a new artificial reef, and repairs to local roads and parks from damage incurred by Hurricane Ian. The county is in the midst of completing work at Crescent Beach Family Park and completing a restroom facility at Lynn Hall Memorial Park. Work at Bowditch Point Regional Park and the reconstruction of the Fort Myers Beach Pier is expected to begin later this summer. She expects the pier to be up by next year, before the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Ian.

“I am really proud of Fort Myers Beach and how far they have come,” Petrosky said. “They are the definition of resilient.”

Amanda Cochran

Cochran said giving back to her community is a “high calling.” Her father, Larry Ford, was a Grammy-award winning gospel singer, who was active in giving back to the community.

“Mostly, I want to be a voice for a community that has felt disenfranchised from local government and has felt like their voices have been ignored,” Cochran said.

Cochran said she believes special interests have “a front-row seat right now.”

Cochran said companies are influencing local decision-makers through their access to legislators “at the expense of the public interest. That’s where I believe we have landed today.”

Cochran said donors to her opponent include out-of-town development interests and out-of-county donors.

Petrosky has defended some of those donors as snowbirds.

“I am running to represent the people of Lee County, and I am running to represent the people, not the powerful,” Cochran said.

She is concerned about the influence of donors on current and future development projects.

Cochran noted the recent pushback against a proposed road that Cameratta Properties was going to build to support their Kingston project for 10,000 homes off Corkscrew Road, which they reportedly have now pulled back.

“All of the places left in Lee County that have these big swaths of land, developers come in to change the Comprehensive Plan to put in thousands of homes,” Cochran said. “I think we can grow more responsibly than that.”

Cochran said “outside development companies see this as a prime area to develop while eroding our comprehensive plan.”

Cochran said there has been too little regard for residents and neighbors where projects are being approved by the county. Those projects are leading to “urban sprawl,” Cochran said. The county’s infrastructure can’t handle the growth, she said.

“Our water quality, our infrastructure, our roads, our traffic, our development patterns, they all shake each other’s hands. That is why it is so important,” Cochran said. “It’s putting a massive strain on our roadways.”

On the subject of the state referendum to increase the homestead property tax exemption up to $250,000, Cochran said “with the exemption amount of $50,000 unchanged since 2008, it covers only a small percentage of what most homes are worth.”

Cochran said she supports the increased exemption “at a time when many families, seniors on fixed incomes, veterans, and small business owners are struggling with rising insurance costs, inflation, and the overall cost of living.”

Cochran said the public will need to “fully understand the long-term impact on local governments. If the constitutional amendment passes, Lee County will have to adjust its budget responsibly while continuing to provide the core services residents depend on, including public safety, infrastructure, parks, and emergency management.”

Cochran said the loss of funding for the county should not automatically be higher fees or shifting the tax burden elsewhere.

“County government should take the opportunity to examine spending, prioritize essential services, improve efficiency, eliminate waste where possible, and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.”

Cochran said she welcomes the open, universal primary.

“The good thing is the decisions made for this job are not made with a letter behind it. I will be making decisions for all of the residents of Lee County.”

There are two Lee County Commission races on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.

District 2 Republican incumbent Cecil L. Pendergrass will face Democratic challenger Elliot Taylor.

District 4 Republican incumbent Brian Hamman will face DeMaria “Princess” Artis, who is running without party affiliation.

To reach NATHAN MAYBERG, please email nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com