A born-and-raised Middle Keys charter captain became the sixth candidate in the 2025 Marathon City Council race as David Perry filed his election paperwork last week.
The owner of Final Final Fishing Charters, based out of Hawks Cay, was born in Marathon, attending Sue Moore School and Marathon High School. Today, he said, he’s eager to make an impact on the city his two daughters and four grandchildren also call home.
“I’ll retire February 1 of 2026 and sell the last part of my business, and my ex-wife, my kids and a lot of my friends told me, it’s time to help out and give back,” he told the Weekly. “I said I’m more than willing to give back, and if running for city council is the way I can do that, I’m your guy. This is a place I love. My kids are grown up, and my grandkids are going to grow up here. I’ve seen all the changes, heard all the complaints, and now I’d like to help do something for the community.”
He cited prioritizing local residents over outside interests, streamlining Marathon’s permit system and a commitment to open discussion with residents in council meetings as the foundation of his campaign.
“The long story short is that I’d like to see it easier for the residents to live in Marathon. I have contractors, electricians, all saying it’s so hard to open up a permit or close a permit compared to a guy from out of town,” he said.
“If people want a politician, they shouldn’t vote for me. I’m not a politician – I’m going to get in, listen to the citizens of Marathon and try to make the best decision for them and what they want. That’s my goal.”
In 2024, Perry was an outspoken critic in council sessions of what he said was unnecessary overdevelopment and its effects on surrounding neighborhoods, taking specific aim at the Florida Keys Country Club’s golf course redevelopment.
Speaking to the Weekly on July 7, he declined to comment on the golf course, but praised residents’ ability to effect change on items such as a scaled-back hotel/motel redevelopment ordinance from 2023.
He said if elected, he looked forward to seeing more faces and voices in the council chambers.
“I just don’t think there’s enough people up there right now listening to what people are saying,” he said. “I don’t think enough citizens come to the meetings. … If there’s one thing I learned going to meetings at City Hall, it’s that the more people you bring with you, the more you’re going to be heard.”
Though he has previously lived in his home on Duck Key, Perry told the Weekly he rented a property in Marathon as of July 1 to be eligible for the 2025 city council race. He said he plans to sell his Duck Key home if elected. His name is listed in official election documents as William (David) Perry.
