By Alex Rickert and Jim McCarthy
The Florida Keys won’t need to wait until November to learn the names of several key elected leaders. With the close of the qualifying period on June 12, multiple candidates are unopposed in their respective 2026 races, continuing in their posts or succeeding longtime public servants. Several Florida Keys races will be decided in the Aug. 18 primary. If two Republican candidates face off in a race with no Democratic challengers, the August primary will determine the winner. Nonpartisan school board and City of Key West races featuring only two candidates also will be decided in August. The District IV Key West city commission race features three candidates. If one of them receives more than 50% of the votes in August, they’ll be the winner. If no one secures a majority, the top two vote-getters will head to a November runoff.
UNOPPOSED
Jim Mooney – state representative
He faced opponents in three previous election cycles, but the Republican from Islamorada saw no qualified opponents this year as he secured his fourth term in the Florida House. It’ll mark Mooney’s final two years in the seat due to the term limits. He’s represented the Florida Keys and south Miami-Dade in Tallahassee since 2020. He’ll serve two more years, 2027 and 2028, before departing the House.
“It means a lot,” Mooney said. “It’s been a long six years and I enjoyed every moment. I can easily and proudly stand on my record, both voting and the money I’ve been able to bring back home. I believe people recognize I’ve done a good job.”
David Rice – Monroe County Commission, District 4
Rice went unopposed for the second time in as many elections, continuing his tenure on the county commission that began in 2002. “Thank you to everyone who has offered support and confidence in my ability to continue serving our community,” he told the Weekly. “I remain committed to listening, leading with integrity and working every day to address the issues that matter most to the residents of District 4 and Monroe County.”
Rice’s district encompasses the majority of Marathon through Plantation Key and Tavernier’s west end. In announcing his candidacy, he listed traffic and transportation issues on U.S. 1 as one of the Keys’ largest unsolved issues.
Luis Gonzalez – Monroe County School Board, District 4
The former Marathon mayor and current Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority board member will add school board member to his resume, replacing 20-year member and current board chair John Dick.
“While this election was uncontested, I do not take the responsibility you have entrusted to me lightly,” he said in a statement at the close of qualifying. “Serving our students, families, teachers and staff is both a privilege and a commitment I embrace wholeheartedly.”
In a previous interview with the Keys Weekly, Gonzalez vowed to take a close look at district dollars “that aren’t going directly into the classroom. … Things that we want, but we really don’t need. We have to have the funds available to recruit and maintain the best and the brightest (teachers).”
Other candidates who faced no opposition include:
- Bette Brown – Mosquito Control Board, District 5
- Frank Conklin – Key Largo Fire & Emergency Medical Board, Seat 2
- George Mirabella – Key Largo Fire & Emergency Medical Board, Seat 4
- Steven Wells Sr. – Key West Utility Board, Seat B
RACES TO BE DECIDED IN AUGUST
- Michelle Lincoln vs. George Lopez (Republicans) – County Commission, District 2
- Kevin McCarthy vs. David Van Loon – County Judge, Group 2
- Theresa Axford vs. Darren Horan – School Board, District 1
- Chelyn Shaw vs. Sue Woltanski – School Board, District 5
- Phillip L. Goodman vs. Alex Osborn (Republicans) – Mosquito Control Board, District 2
- Dee Dee Henriquez vs. Sam Kaufman – Key West Mayor
- Bobi Lore vs. Mark Rossi – Key West City Commission, District 2
- Sarah Compton, Wayne Garcia & Juan Llera – Key West City Commission, District 4 (If no one secures more than 50% of the votes in August, the top two head to November runoff.)
- Chris Massicotte vs. Greg Sullivan – Key West City Commission, District 5
- Mona Clark vs. Jim Marquardt – Key West Utility Board, Seat A
- Javier Garrido vs. Tim Urbanski – Key West Utility Board, Seat D
SEE YOU IN NOVEMBER…
- Carlos Gimenez vs. Phil Ehr vs. Eddy Rojas – U.S. House, District 28
- Florida Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer & Agriculture Commissioner
- Ana Maria Rodriguez vs. Jose Antonio Stoute vs. Ramira Ota, State Senate, District 40
- Freddie Foster, Kirk Diehl and Lynne Benton – Key Colony Beach City Commission
- John E Brooke, Matthew Hardee, Robby Majeska, Anna Moon and Jose Felix Peixoto – Key Largo Wastewater District
- Islamorada Council (official qualifying period is Aug. 4-11. To date, incumbents Don Horton, Anna Richards, Steve Friedman, Deb Gillis and Sharon Mahoney have filed for reelection.)
