The 1998 Orange County, Florida, Chairman election took place on November 3, 1998, following a primary election on September 1, 1998. Incumbent Chairman Linda Chapin was term-limited and barred from seeking a third consecutive term. Though the race was formally nonpartisan, two Republican candidates advanced to the general election. State Senator John Ostalkiewicz placed first in the primary with 41 percent of the vote, and Orlando Utilities Commission President Mel Martínez placed second with 40 percent. In the general election, Martínez defeated Ostalkiewicz in a landslide, winning 60 percent of the vote. However, halfway through Martínez's term, he would resign to become U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
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