Cochran unseats Petrosky from county commission
Challenger Amanda Cochran ousted District 5 Lee County Commissioner Trish Petrosky in a universal primary between the two Republicans today in a race seen as a referendum on development in Lee County.
With all precincts reporting in the primary election, Cochran received 54.73% of the vote, compared to 45.27% for Petrosky. Cochran received 64,815 votes compared to 53,618 votes for Petrosky. The district covers all of Lee County.
The two Alva residents engaged in a hard-fought primary that centered around whether voters believe Lee County has been developing too rapidly or whether voters wanted to see further controls. Cochran positioned herself as more concerned about the impact of development projects, while Petrosky took a more moderate position.
Petrosky was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in December to fill the seat of late Commissioner Mike Greenwell. A former Realtor, she had worked as an executive assistant at the Evangelical Christian School before her appointment to the county commission.
Cochran, who manages a realty company, had previously challenged Greenwell for his seat unsuccessfully in 2024, while winning in her own district.
District 5 covers Alva, Buckingham, Lehigh Acres, Olga, and the outermost northeastern section of Fort Myers. The seat is elected by voters countywide.
All election results are unofficial until certified.
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