2004 Orlando mayoral election

2004 Orlando mayoral election

March 9, 2004
 
Candidate Buddy Dyer Ken Mulvaney Sam Ings
Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan
Popular vote 12,422 7,444 3,237
Percentage 50.96% 30.54% 13.28%

Mayor before election

Buddy Dyer
Nonpartisan

Elected mayor

Buddy Dyer
Nonpartisan

The 2004 Orlando mayoral election took place on March 9, 2004. Incumbent Mayor Buddy Dyer, who was first elected in a 2003 special election, ran for re-election to a full term. He faced four opponents, including businessman Ken Mulvaney and retired police captain Sam Ings. Dyer narrowly avoided a runoff election and won a full term, receiving 51 percent of the vote to Mulvaney's 31 percent and Ings's 13 percent.

Mulvaney contested the election results, alleging that Dyer illegally paid a consultant $10,000 to collect absentee ballots from predominantly Black precincts. On March 10, 2005, Dyer was indicted by a grand jury for violating state election law, which prompted Governor Jeb Bush to suspend him from office and schedule a special election. On April 20, 2005, the charges were dropped against Dyer, he was returned to office, and the special election was cancelled.