- June 22, 2026
An Army veteran is running to represent Zone 3 on the Ormond Beach City Commission.
Ted Rhodes filed to run for the seat on June 5. He moved to Ormond Beach from Phoenix, Arizona, in 2022, and said he decided to run for office after seeing an increase of development in the area.
"We really love the natural habitat, and we didn't want to see the same things happen here that we've witnessed in other places that we've lived," Rhodes said. "So I wanted to get involved."
Rhodes, an Iraq war veteran, served 28 years in the Army, including years in reserve. During his time in the military, Rhodes said he served in tactical, operational and strategic levels. While this is his first time running for office, he has worked for three congressional campaigns in the past. Additionally, when he was stationed in Baghdad, he was part of a specialized unit involved in conveying information to the public.
His interest in serving on the City Commission came after he attended a Planning Board meeting. Rhodes, who owns a few rental properties in Arizona, said he became concerned at the number of variances and rezoning applications being reviewed, and felt that there was overrepresentation of real estate industry professionals on the board.
Overdevelopment, wastewater management and clean water are some of the cornerstones of his campaign, he said.
Rhodes added that he's also interested in looking at the budget, and if elected, would like to finds way to improve or restructure the budgetary process.
"I use the term kitchen-table budgeting," he said. "Everybody understands that. — We know what our income is, and now we got to fit our expenses into the income. Here, it's backwards. We have requirements, and we're going to try to fit those requirements into the revenues."
Rhodes said he considers himself a "reformer." Being new in town means he has a fresh perspective and is not running to keep "business as usual," he said.
"I'm out for the interests of the residents," Rhodes said.
Rhodes is running against incumbent City Commissioner Kristin Deaton. The race will be decided in the general election on Nov. 3.
