- October 14, 2026
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories highlighting the candidates for local office who will be on the Nov. 3 ballot.
When Amber Bobak first learned that a Circle K gas station was going to be built about 400 feet away from her home, she worked for months to try and stop it, and when that didn't appear feasible, lessen the development's impact on her neighborhood.
She researched regulations. Attended meetings with city staff. Spoke to officials. Filed an appeal.
And through that process, she was told that to have a chance to make real change, she'd have to have a seat at the table.
Or, in this case, the dais.
"I don't want to become a politician," said Bobak, who is running against incumbent Ormond Beach Zone 4 City Commissioner Harold Briley. "I'm asking for the politician's seat because it comes with power. Because I've seen local issues that I'd like to have a stronger input on."
Bobak and Briley are headed to a runoff after the results of the August primary election. While both of them edged out the third candidate in the race, Barry du Moulin, neither earned enough to win the election outright in the primary, as Briley received 41.86% of the vote and Bobak received 38.84%.
In number of votes, Briley earned 931 and Bobak 862 — a difference of 69 votes.
Per Bobak's campaign website, she envisions a Zone 4 built on "environmental stewardship and active public participation."
"I just want to be open and honest and let people know exactly who I am," Bobak said. "No surprises. Transparency."
Bobak wasn't born in Ormond Beach. Her mom had her at 16 years old at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
She still considers Ormond Beach to be her "stomping grounds," as she lived in the area on and off for most of her childhood. She attended both Tomoka and Pine Trail Elementary at points in her life, and moved back and forth between Ormond Beach, Daytona and Orange Park in Clay County throughout her youth.
As a teen, Bobak said she was a troubled child. She had her oldest son at 18 years old.
"So I was a young mom as well, after making bad decisions," Bobak said. "I continued to make bad decisions, unfortunately, even as a young mother."
In 2008, at 22 years old, she and her boyfriend at the time got pulled over for expired tags. Her boyfriend had a warrant for his arrest on drug charges from another state, and police found a marijuana joint in the car. Bobak took the fall for the joint, and later missed three court dates in a row for the charge. She was arrested.
Charges were later dropped.
Soon thereafter, she met her husband Jason and her life changed.
"I've been busy raising kids since then," said Bobak, who is a mom of three. "... Learned from every mistake I made."
Her family wasn't thrilled when she decided to run for office. Bobak said her grandmother initially begged her not to run.
In running for office, Bobak said she's probably given up time with her grandmother, who'd like her to spend more hours thrifting together. Her grandmother will be 88 in December.
"She has told me that she'd rather see me in the trouble I'm making today than the trouble I used to make as a teenager," Bobak said. "So I think she's a little bit proud of me there. I won her over. She did say she voted for me."
Bobak currently works for Cains Electric as a front desk office administrator. For years, she also worked as a server and did a short stint with the Classic Muscle Motor Company.
Her political qualifications? Bobak said she has none.
Though, that's not quite accurate. In February, she was appointed to the Planning Board by Mayor Jason Leslie. Of the current commissioners, two previously served on the Planning Board, Briley and Mayor-elect Lori Tolland.
Bobak also serves as an alternate for the Board of Adjustment and Appeals.
However, time served on boards and experience, she said, isn't part of the qualifications to run for local office.
"I think that these positions were created and designed to be qualified so that the average day resident could step up and represent their community," Bobak said. "That's the whole part of our government system."
When she became involved in advocating for her neighborhood during the beginnings of the Circle K project at 699 S. Nova Road, she had conversations with numerous agencies and departments, including St. Johns River Water Management and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
And she started seeing gaps in protections for residents and impacts from recent state legislation.
"Most of us love this community and want to see it thrive," Bobak said. "We just we see the state issues coming down and think that there might need to be a strong hold to try to get any of our Home Rule back that we've lost and maintain any that we still have."
Bobak believes in small government. She's not anti-development. She's concerned about water and environmental protections.
And she sees eye-to-eye on many issues with Briley, who has represented Zone 4 since 2022. She just wished citizens' opinions and stances on issues were voiced more often on the record, and felt she could do that.
"I really think that that needs to come through with the conversation on the dais," Bobak said.
When people ask her how her campaign is going, Bobak said she never knows how to answer — other than saying she's having a good time. She doesn't do door-to-door campaigning very much.
"I pick up garbage," she said. "I put my campaign shirt on and I go walk up and down the street, and I pick up garbage that I don't want to see anyway. I haven't done the traditional sign waving that most people want to see — mixed feelings on that one. Some people believe it's kind of like a pastime, just do it because that's part of the history of it, but then you've got other people that I've talked to that are like, 'No, it's a distraction.'"
She's running her campaign on her own with a handful of financial supporters. Most of the people she talks to are those she encounters in public settings and community events.
Bobak loves to draw, mainly with colored pencils. She crotchets too — and will do so at city commission meetings often to keep her hands busy.
She describes herself as "earth-oriented," and dresses in a hippie boho style. Bobak isn't religious; she considers herself spiritual.
"I think that we're all so different and everything is so different, but then down at the depth of everything, there's a core similarity that's just beautiful," Bobak said.
