Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026
Islamorada Village Council Election 2026
4 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 8 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check
Not sure who to vote for? Answer 6 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.
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How to vote · 11 days left
Election day (Nov 3): the election office's noticeThese links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.
Village Council Seat 1
1 seat- Anna RichardsIncumbentSurveying and mapping business owner who is a certified floodplain manager and licensed real estate agent. The council appointed her in February 2025 to fill the rest of then-councilman Buddy Pinder's two-year term.10sourced
- Joe WischmeierBoat captain who recently retired from the Florida Sea Base and has lived in Islamorada since 1989. He has spent years attending village council meetings and speaking on the issues.4sourced
Village Council Seat 2
1 seat- Steve FriedmanIncumbentFull-time backcountry fishing guide and elected member of the Islamorada Village Council. He is a former Commodore of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association.12sourced
- Deb GillisOwner and operator of the Key Lantern Inn and Blue Fin Inn at mile marker 82.1 in Islamorada. She served on the village council for eight years until 2018, including as mayor and vice mayor, and returned after the 2024 election.10sourced
Village Council Seat 3
1 seatVillage Council Seat 4
1 seat- Don HortonIncumbentFormer Monroe County building services director and former Islamorada building official. He won Seat 4 in the 2024 election and is the current mayor.9sourced
- Tom RaffanelloFormer DEA chief of operations, responsible for 10,000 employees in 110 domestic offices and 71 countries.3sourced
Each contest is for one numbered seat, and every Islamorada voter can vote in all four.
Also on your Nov 3 ballot
We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.
- GovernorOfficial candidate list, in its order
8 candidates on the ballot
- Byron Donalds · Republican
- David Jolly · Democratic
- Scott Eckhard Jewett · Libertarian
- Charles Burkett · No Party Affiliation
- Frank J. Russo · No Party Affiliation
- Moliere "Moe" Dimanche · No Party Affiliation
- Dean Ocean Abrams · No Party Affiliation
- Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto · No Party Affiliation
- U.S. Senate (special election)
- Ashley Moody · Republican
- Angie Nixon · Democratic
- Neil J. Gillespie · No Party Affiliation
- Also statewideAttorney General · Chief Financial Officer · Commissioner of Agriculture
- Statewide measures3 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.
Already on the council, not on the ballot
Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.
Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.
What the next council decides
01Property tax rate3 sourced facts
Where it standsAt its September 28, 2026 final budget hearing the council set the 2026-27 rate at 2.6500 mills, the same rate as the year before.
What's on the tableThe next council sets the property tax rate and budget each year.
- On July 7, 2026 the council set a proposed maximum rate of 2.8 mills, reduced from a staff-recommended 3.0, by a 5-0 vote. Islamorada · Jul 7, 2026
- On September 10, 2026 the council adopted a tentative rate of 2.7231 mills, 5-0, and a tentative budget, 3-2. Islamorada · Sep 10, 2026
- Property tax revenue for the new year is about $19.5 million, up from $18.2 million, because taxable real estate rose by $491 million. Keys Weekly
02Staff pay3 sourced facts
Where it standsThe adopted 2026-27 budget gives village employees a 3% cost-of-living raise and up to a 3% merit increase.
What's on the tableThe next council decides pay raises, benefits and staffing levels in each year's budget.
- On September 10, 2026 a motion to reduce budgeted personnel costs to $15,611,085.32 failed 2-3. Islamorada · Sep 10, 2026
- The COLA and merit raises represent an increase of $282,641. Keys Weekly
- In August 2026 the council agreed on a 60/40 health premium cost-share for employees hired on or after October 1, 2026. Islamorada · Aug 5, 2026
03Charter amendments4 sourced facts
Where it standsThree village charter amendments are on the November 3, 2026 ballot: three-year staggered terms, filling council vacancies, and supermajority votes on village property.
What's on the tableVoters decide the amendments; the next council will work under whatever rules pass.
- One amendment would replace two-year council terms and an eight-year limit with three-year staggered terms and a three-term limit. Monroe County Supervisor of Elections
- Another would require the remaining council members to appoint an interim member within 30 days and call a special election within 6 months when a vacancy has half a term or more left. Monroe County Supervisor of Elections
- A third would require a supermajority council vote for the village to convey or purchase real property. Monroe County Supervisor of Elections
- On July 7, 2026 the council voted 3-2 not to put a council compensation charter amendment on the ballot. Islamorada · Jul 7, 2026
04Public participation2 sourced facts
Where it standsAll eight candidates answered a Keys Weekly question on public participation, and several called for earlier agendas, more public comment or town halls.
What's on the tableThe council sets its own meeting rules, agenda timing and public comment practices.
- Deb Gillis said the formal council agenda is available to the public on the Thursday before Tuesday meetings. Keys Weekly · Oct 15, 2026
- At an August 2026 budget workshop the Village Manager agreed to notify the council before significant RFPs are issued. Islamorada · Aug 5, 2026
05Growth and land use2 sourced facts
Where it standsThe council rules case by case on land use changes, building-permit relief and dwelling-unit appeals.
What's on the tableThe next council will vote on rezonings, permit allocation relief and changes to land development rules.
- On August 20, 2026 the council approved, 3-1 with one abstention, with conditions including no vacation rental use, an appeal of the planning director's view that 86751 Old Highway is a single-family residence and not a duplex. Islamorada · Aug 20, 2026
- On September 8, 2026 the council deferred, 5-0, an ordinance on environmental restoration standards until a full process is defined. Islamorada · Sep 8, 2026
2 notes on these statements
Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney went unopposed for Seat 5, so only Seats 1 through 4 are contested. Keys Weekly · Aug 13, 2026
If the staggered-terms charter amendment passes, the three candidates receiving the most votes or running unopposed in November 2026 receive three-year terms and the rest receive two-year terms. Monroe County Supervisor of Elections
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Who matches you?
Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.
1. Where should Islamorada set its property tax rate?
2. What should the council do with the proposed personnel budget?
3. When should residents be able to speak at council meetings?
4. Should the village publish council agendas earlier?
5. Should the council hold town hall meetings with residents?
6. How should Islamorada handle new development?
Key dates
- Voter registration closesMonroe County Supervisor of ElectionsOct 5, 2026
- Early voting beginsIslamoradaOct 19, 2026
- Election dayIslamoradaNov 3, 2026
The seat math
1 stay (not up this year): Sharon Mahoney4 on this ballot
5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.
- Islamorada has a five-member Village Council, each member representing the Village at large, under the council-manager form of government. Islamorada
- The Mayor is appointed by fellow members of the Village Council for a one-year Mayoral term. Islamorada
- All five Village Council seats are up for election on November 3, 2026, for two-year terms. Islamorada
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