Three current Islamorada council members will return for another term in office following their victories on election night.
The roughly 3,000 village voters who took to the polls made their voices heard, as incumbents Mayor Don Horton and council members Steve Friedman and Anna Richards won their respective races.
And while there will be a newcomer to the five-person dias, winner Sue Miller is no stranger to village politics.
With early votes, mail-ins and ballots cast on Election Day counted, the results showed Richards besting Joe Wischmeier in the race for seat 1. Richards, who was appointed by the council to fill the term of Buddy Pinder in early 2025, received 61.26% of the vote.
Richards said she appreciates the voters who supported and put their trust in her.
“This is a special place and together we can make a positive impact in the city we love, especially for our future generations,” Richards told the Keys Weekly.
In one of the more interesting village races, seat 2 went to Friedman. The backcountry guide bested current councilwoman Deb Gillis with 55.55% of the vote.
Gillis was originally seeking seat 3, but with two other candidates filing for that seat, she avoided a three-person race and switched to seat 2 to face Friedman.
This is Friedman’s second consecutive victory. The fishing guide, who has been a strong proponent of the environment and clean water, said he was honored and humbled to be elected back to the council.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to guard against overdevelopment and prioritize ways we can protect our waters,” he told Keys Weekly.
The race for seat 3 saw Miller besting Corie McGraw-Abel. Miller has been involved in village politics going back to incorporation many decades ago. She received 50.81% of the village vote.
Miller took to Facebook to express her gratitude to voters who support her. She said Islamorada is a special place and she will work hard to protect what makes the village unique while “helping shape a future everyone can be proud of.”
As for seat 4, Horton secured 55.89% to beat challenger Tom Raffanello. This is Horton’s second consecutive victory.
Horton thanked all the voters who supported him throughout the campaign. He told Keys Weekly he’s looking forward to completing the comprehensive plan and land development regulations while working with state and federal representatives to secure more funding for environmental projects. Horton is also eager to continue working on a plan to implement a more efficient transportation system in the village.
“I’m looking forward to the cooperation with Congressman Carlos Gimenez, state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and state Rep. Jim Mooney to bring us funding,” he said.
The four victors will join vice mayor Sharon Mahoney, who was automatically selected back to the council after she saw no challenger for seat 5 by time of the Aug. 11 qualifying deadline.
The new council will convene for an orientation on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. at the Founders Park Community Center. A regular meeting will follow at 5:30 p.m.
Village voters also supported a charter amendment to stagger the council seats so all five won’t be up for election every two years. With 63.80% of voters saying “yes,” three council seats will be for three-year terms, while the other two will be two-year terms.
Receiving the three-year terms will be Mahoney, who saw no challenger and was automatically elected back, and the top two vote getters on election night, Richards and Friedman. Horton and Miller will get the two-year terms.
In addition, village voters supported a charter amendment to establish procedure when a council member exits office less than six months into their term. The council would be required to fill the seat within 30 days and would call for a special election within six months to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Also, a charter amendment requiring supermajority vote on matters related to amending the future use land map or zoning of certain village-owned property was approved. A four-fifths vote would also be required for use of village property used as a park to uses not permitted in recreation or conservation districts.
In Key Largo, three wastewater district board seats were up for grabs with five candidates. The top three vote getters were John Brooke, Matthew Hardee and Robby Majeska.
