A decisive primary outcome
In a decisive outcome for Southwest Florida's largest city, Rick Erickson and Lisa Cohen-Adkinson advanced to the November general election for Cape Coral mayor, with incumbent John Gunter defeated in the six-person primary, finishing third.
Erickson received 32% of the vote, while Cohen-Adkinson garnered 24.5%. Gunter tallied 14.9%, according to results reported by the Naples Daily News and the News-Press. The primary was held Aug. 18 for the Lee County municipality.
Erickson, 63, a retired U.S. Army veteran of more than 32 years and a former paramedic, said Tuesday night, "I am deeply humbled by the confidence voters have placed in me. Cape Coral has rejected the Realtor, developer and career politician class that has controlled City Hall for far too long."
Cohen-Adkinson, 46, a Cape resident since 1990 and broker and owner of Valor Real Estate Services Inc., said, "This campaign has never been about one person. Cape Coral's story is still being written, and I truly believe her best days are still ahead of her."
Gunter, who has been mayor since 2021 and is president of Gulf Coast Premier Homes, was declining comment, with no statements released publicly as of Wednesday morning.
The road to November
With voting done citywide for the four-year term, the race now goes to the Nov. 3 general election. Elections are non-partisan, and all eligible voters, regardless of party affiliation, could cast ballots in the primary.
Cape Coral operates under a council-manager form of government with a mayor and seven districts. The mayor position is paid an annual salary of nearly $50,000.
The other candidates in order of finish were Kara Rogers (14.5%), Dan Sheppard, and Richard Andrew Leon. Rogers, 39, is an attorney and co-owner of the Cape Coral-based Powers & Rogers law firm. Sheppard, 63, is a former Cape city council member and has been a landscape businessman since 1999. Leon, 39, a resident since 1989, is a former council member and has worked in retail for about 14 years.