A Florida Keys politician just resigned. Will there be an election? Here’s what’s next
Now that Eddie Martinez resigned from the Monroe County Commission in the Florida Keys, what happens next with his seat on the dais?
Martinez announced Tuesday he was stepping down to address “health issues.” The decision comes a week after his Nov. 30 arrest on a domestic violence charge in Hialeah.
For now, Gov. Ron DeSantis will choose his interim successor from a pool of applicants that apply for Martinez’s District 3 seat, which covers the Old Town section of Key West. Interested candidates can apply on the governor’s website.
Will the interim commissioner serve the rest of the term that ends in November 2024?
Not necessarily. There will be a general election held next year that coincides with the regular election cycle. That is, an August primary and a November general election. DeSantis’ appointment can run in the special election, said the governor’s spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw. Whoever wins that race will serve until 2024.
Until a replacement is picked, where can District 3 constituents go for questions, concerns or needs?
Monroe spokeswoman Kristen Livengood said constituents can contact county staff or any of the other four commissioners.
Do Monroe County commissioners receive an annual salary?
Commissioners are paid $50,348 a year.
Is the District 3 seat the only one that will be on the 2022 general election?
There is another interim commissioner serving on the dais. In September, District 5 Commissioner Mike Forster died from COVID-19 complications. DeSantis appointed Holly Raschein, the Keys’ former state representative in the Legislature, to replace Forster. Forster’s term was also scheduled to end in November 2024.
This means that four of the five Monroe County Council district seats will be up for election in 2022, the gubernatorial election year in Florida. That is because commissioners serve in staggered four-year terms. The elections for Districts 2 and 4 elections normally coincide with the governor’s race, Livengood said. The terms of whoever wins those races will end in 2026.
The race for District 1, which also represents the city of Key West, was decided in 2020, along with that of Districts 3 and 5. Commissioner Craig Cates represents District 1, and his term is scheduled to end in 2024.
