- March 31, 2026
Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie is exiting the race for District 29 in the Florida House and instead will seek reelection.
Leslie formally announced his withdrawal from his state campaign and start of his mayoral campaign in a press release. He filed for reelection on March 27.
“Serving Ormond Beach has been the honor of my life,” Leslie said in the press release. “I came in as an outsider — not part of the establishment — and from day one, my focus has been strengthening public safety, growing our economy, upgrading storm drains and other infrastructure, enhancing outdoor recreation, increasing transparency, and continuing to make this a wonderful place to live. We’ve made real progress. But we’ve also seen how major pending issues, like the proposed development of the old Tomoka golf course, can quickly impact our community. I’m running to continue being a strong voice for residents, being active and available, and to keep us moving in the right direction — finding smarter solutions that reduce or eliminate impacts from development that doesn’t fit our community.”
Leslie is a native of New Jersey. He has lived in Ormond Beach for over five years and currently owns commercial real estate and an e-commerce business. He was elected mayor of Ormond Beach in 2024.
According to his press release, Leslie's reelection campaign will focus on the following issues: smart growth to protect the city's character, including improvements to the land development code; public safety and storm readiness; traffic and infrastructure solutions, including flooding mitigation; environmental protection and public health; and "open, responsive local government that listens to residents’ concerns, delivers results the community expects, and includes a charter review."
“We work for the residents — plain and simple,” Leslie said. “My work here isn’t done. We’ve faced challenges as a commission, and there have been missteps along the way, but we learn, adapt, and keep moving forward together. Residents have asked me to stay, and I’m committed to continuing to serve the community I truly care about. This campaign will be powered by a grassroots effort — supported by people, not special interests.”
