Sunshine Grund
Sunshine Grund is running for election to the Orlando City Council to represent District 1 in Florida. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Biography
Sunshine Grund was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She served in the United States Army from 2001 to 2003. Grund graduated from Winona Senior High School in 2002. She received an associate degree from Valencia College in 2005 and received a B.S. in psychology and a master's degree in nonprofit management from the University of Central Florida in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Grund's professional experience includes working as a real estate broker and owner of Sweet Dreams Realty, PLLC, as a teacher at Walden Community School, a management consultant at One Lux Systems, and project and resource development employee with Cby25 Initiative.[1][1] Grund has been affiliated with the Orange County Additions Volunteer Program, Community Based Care of Central Florida, Legal Aid Society, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals at UCF.
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Orlando, Florida (2025)
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Orlando City Council District 1
Incumbent Jim Gray, Manny Acosta, Sunshine Grund, and Tom Keen are running in the general election for Orlando City Council District 1 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Jim Gray (Nonpartisan) | |
| Manny Acosta (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Sunshine Grund (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Tom Keen (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kevin Kendrick (Nonpartisan)
Endorsements
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2024
See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, Florida (2024)
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cynthia Harris (No Party Affiliation)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Orange County Supervisor of Elections
Karen Castor Dentel won election outright against Sunshine Grund, Dan Helm, and Wes Hodge in the Democratic primary for Orange County Supervisor of Elections on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Karen Castor Dentel | 40.2 | 190,202 |
| Sunshine Grund | 21.6 | 102,125 | |
 | Dan Helm | 19.6 | 92,445 | |
 | Wes Hodge | 18.6 | 87,900 | |
| Total votes: 472,672 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joseph Davis (R)
Although Florida holds closed primaries, if all candidates in a race are from the same party, Florida law opens the primary to all voters—regardless of their party registration—in what is called a universal primary. Originally, the supervisor of elections race had four Democratic candidates in the primary and one No Party Affiliation (NPA) candidate in the general election, meaning it was not a universal primary. A circuit court order removed Cynthia Harris, the NPA candidate, from the general election ballot after early voting in the primary had begun. This decision meant that the Democratic primary became a universal primary. Because voting in the county had already begun, votes cast in the August Democratic primary were not counted and the primary was moved to the November general election date.[2]
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Grund in this election.
2021
See also: City elections in Orlando, Florida (2021)
General election
General election for Orlando City Council District 1
Incumbent Jim Gray defeated Sunshine Grund and Bill Moore in the general election for Orlando City Council District 1 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Gray (Nonpartisan) | 62.2 | 2,114 |
| Sunshine Grund (Nonpartisan) | 22.8 | 774 | |
 | Bill Moore (Nonpartisan) | 15.0 | 509 | |
| Total votes: 3,397 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
The city of Orlando, Florida, held elections for city council on December 5, 2017. A primary took place on November 7, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was September 8, 2017. Three of seven council seats were up for election. Incumbent Jim Gray defeated Tom Keen and Sunshine Grund in the general election for the District 1 seat on the Orlando City Council.[3]
| Orlando City Council, District 1 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jim Gray Incumbent |
53.18% | 1,621 |
| Tom Keen | 39.63% | 1,208 |
| Sunshine Grund | 7.19% | 219 |
| Total Votes | 3,048 | |
| Source: Orange County Supervisor of Elections, "2017 City of Orlando General Election," accessed November 7, 2017 | ||
2015
The city of Orlando, Florida, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was September 4, 2015. Three of the six city council seats were up for election.[4]
In the mayoral race, Buddy Dyer defeated Sunshine Grund and Paul Paulson in the general election.[5]
| Mayor of Orlando, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Buddy Dyer Incumbent |
62.5% | 13,953 |
| Paul Paulson | 33.1% | 7,383 |
| Sunshine Grund | 4.4% | 979 |
| Total Votes | 22,315 | |
| Source: Orlando Supervisor of Elections, "2015 Official General Election Results," accessed November 16, 2015 | ||
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2024
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released August 3, 2024 |
Sunshine Grund completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Grund's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Nearly a decade ago an inquisitive comment at a Boy Scout Fundraiser from our previous supervisor, Bill Cowles, planted the seed to serve. We both studied at the same graduate college so carrying forward our alma mater’s legacy of leadership and service would be an honor. Go Knights! Nonprofit and for-profit management has uniquely prepared me for this pivotal role.
At the heart of my candidacy is a commitment to restoring democracy's integrity and reducing undue influence in politics. The mission is clear: safeguard our electoral system's integrity, enhancing public trust, and fostering robust citizen engagement. Asking for support not just today, but for the vision of equality and integrity in ALL our elections.
Orange County has been a place of so much opportunity-it’s where I met my husband of 18 years and where we are raising our four children; also an adoptive family. There is hope that one day our children and their children’s children will live in a community with equal opportunities-especially from those supervising and running in our elections. Plus, as those around me like to say-why not you?! That’s what I try to tell them too, kind of kidding. In true seriousness, I am running because to whom much is given-much is required.- Life-Life is busy and accessibility is key. We must modernize and streamline the voting process to ensure accessibility for all voters. Technology must be utilized in all ways possible and revisited often to ensure maximum utilization. Enhancing the online voter registration and request for vote by mail needs to be evaluated and re-evaluated often. So many in our community depend on the access to the office from their home or mobile devices. Utilizing technology to monitor wait times at polling places allows for increased understanding and responses to issues as they arise. Cybersecurity measures will be continuously considered to ensure all data is secure. Technology allows modernization in our electoral system and accessibility.
- Liberty-We all deserve leaders we can trust. Strong integrity and transparency will keep us focused. Our office is a sacred space as we oversee elections. Making elections transparent and inclusive inspire the trust in the electoral system, encouraging more people to participate in shaping their communities and their future. Priorities include voter education and outreach, collaboration with stakeholders, and a culture open to audits. Data Analytics of voter engagement will be utilized to identify trends and patterns to allow focused outreach and increase voter engagement. Fair and transparent elections are crucial for maintaining public trust and upholding democratic principles.
- Pursuit of Happiness-Effective and efficient elections are important. Continuous professional development will be a cornerstone of the office. Ongoing training will ensure election staff stay up to date on best practices, legal requirements, and new technologies in election administration. Fostering a community will be a program encouraging participation in our elections that promote equality in elections. Being a ward of the state of Florida for over a decade before aging out-and starting my own family gave insight to various communities and the importance of fostering kindness. Implementing innovative ideas enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the electoral process so it is a win win for us all.
At the end of the day everything that we do or do not do is to serve you-the citizens of Orange County.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2021
Sunshine Grund completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Grund's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As a child I grew up in a children’s home that would drive into the city to walk around Lake Eola. Moved to the millennia area after high school (and helped open the Target) while studying at Valencia. Eventually earned a B.S. in Psychology and Masters in Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida. Go Knights! Met my Knight while in college too and we are raising four fabulous children. We Love Orlando and grateful for the opportunities it provides for all-that is the world we work hard for. Now raising children who love Lake Eola too.
In conclusion, I am a nobody trying to represent everybody. Moved to Northlake Park within District 1 in 2013. Love our neighbors and friends -they motivate the mission to serve those where we are. I have professionally worn many hats like lifeguard, child advocate, grant writer, teacher, realtor, broker, caretaker, manager, etc, and it would be an honor to serve as your elected city council (district 1) representative in Orlando. Sharing my time, talents, and treasures is an honor.- Safe. Sunshine will make safety a priority. She will be proactive in her efforts to support strong communities that are safe.
- Smart. Sunshine will promote education. Empowering our community is her goal. Economic enrichment will also be a catalyst.
- Sustainable. Sunshine will work hard to preserve our environment for future generations. She will also advocate for policies accordingly.
The Business and Financial Services, the Economic Development, the Executive Offices, the Families Parks and Recreation, the Fire Department, the Housing and Community Development, the Orlando Venues, the Police Department, the Public Works, and the Transportation are all departments I plan to support. Our city is strong because of each,
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2015
Grund's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
| “ |
Sunshine dreams of using promise, peace and purpose to refresh the City of Orlando. "I think it's time for Orlando to have a fresh approach in it's leadership, one that gives the citizens a voice. My goal is to be that voice." Grund has been a city resident for over a decade, and active in public service for most of her life. One of her favorite civic opportunities was traveling the country with the national nonprofit FosterClub in 2005, planning and facilitating Independent Living Teen Conferences. On a state level she has also been a child advocate, and met with both Governor Bush and Governor Crist as they signed important bills into law. Grund asserts that all of her involvement through the years taught, “that rather than be bitter about current challenges, it is better to help improve the situation for the future.” Grund's vision for Orlando is to nurture a city full of promise, peace, and purpose. Promise: building an environment that supports growth for businesses and citizens. Peace: keeping the streets we live and work in safe and clean. Purpose: managing how our tax dollars and resources are spent to efficiently and effectively best serve our community. Orlando is where Grund and her husband Joe are raising their family. It is important to her that it truly is the city beautiful - from the inside out. Including the conservation of our wetlands. She considers it her duty to help ensure that dream not only for her family, but also for her neighbors. She wants to channel her passion for public service into addressing issues important to all the citizens in the city. [6] |
” |
| —Sunshine Grund's campaign website, (2015), [7] | ||
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sunshine Grund 2015 campaign website, "Home," accessed September 14, 2015 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Click Orlando, "Judge throws no-party-affiliate candidate off ballot in Orange County elections supervisor race," August 16, 2024
- ↑ City of Orlando, "Candidates for 2017 General Election," accessed September 8, 2017
- ↑ City of Orlando, "2015 Election timeline," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ City of Orlando, "Announced City Candidates for the 2015 General Election," accessed September 8, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Sunshine Grund, "Orlando Mayor Campaign," accessed September 14, 2015
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