Islamorada Mayor Don Horton Seeks Re‑Election to Village Seat 4

Don Horton, Islamorada’s mayor and the incumbent for Village Council Seat 4, filed on January 29, 2026, to run for re-election to the Village Council and is listed on the village website as the first candidate to file for the November 3, 2026 municipal election. The Islamorada official filing list shows the entry "Seat 4 Don Horton - Filed January 29, 2026," and the village has scheduled the 2026 election for November 3, 2026.

Horton won Seat 4 in the 2024 election, securing 60.9% of the vote to beat Tom Raffanello, according to local coverage and a community publication excerpt. That victory marked his first time serving as a council member, and local reporting notes he is in the second and final year of his current two-year term.

A longtime Keys resident, Horton came to the Florida Keys from Texas almost 50 years ago and previously served as building services director for Monroe County and as a building official for Islamorada, as reported in community outlets. Those municipal and county roles are cited in a published profile that also repeated the 2024 election result.

Explaining the timing of his filing, Horton told Keys Weekly, "I filed early last election cycle. I just figured I’d file early again this year to let my constituents and the citizens of Islamorada know I would like the privilege to serve another two years." Keys Weekly also reported that Horton was the first person to qualify for one of the five open council seats on Jan. 29.

Islamorada’s municipal website provides the administrative details candidates need. To qualify for office, a candidate must be a registered voter with the State of Florida, be a resident of Islamorada, Village of Islands, and maintain residency in Islamorada throughout the two-year term. The Village Clerk is listed as the Qualifying Officer; election questions can be directed to clerk@islamorada.fl.us or by phone at (305) 664-6412. The village office is at 86800 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036, and the municipal phone number is 305-664-6400.

The village site also lists candidate resources under titles such as "2026 CANDIDATE QUALIFYING CHECKLIST WITH LINKS TO FORMS," "2026 Calendar of Election and Reporting Dates (PDF)," "Candidate and Campaign Treasurer Handbook 2024 - New Version in Process," "Election Sign Registration Application (PDF)," and "2026 Candidate Qualifying FAQs." Political signage rules on the site state that signs may be displayed 30 days before the election, which the municipality identifies as Sunday, October 4, 2026, and must be removed no later than seven days after the election, by November 10, 2026; the site warns that signs not in compliance may be removed.

A village blog post dated February 12, 2026, by an anonymous author states, "All 5 council seats are up for grabs! And we will likely have critical charter changes on the ballot as well." The blog adds, "To date, Don Horton is the only candidate who has filed. To keep up with the coming election Click here." The post also includes the line, "Some may want the financial advantages ($1000/month in pay)???" and lists local topics under headings that include "A Chance to Voice Ideas for the Fills - What the Council Said - Public Reaction - October 2021 - FILLS - IDEA FOR QUICK FIX - Cancelation of Selection from Village + Freebee + Founders Park - Founders Park: Our Centerpiece - Founders Park: Concerns - Founders Park: Concerns about vendor contract - Baseball Field at Founders Park - Founders Park: Recommended Solutions - Founders Park: Water Re-Use + White Marlin-Port Antigua Beach - A Special But Troubled Beach - WMB-Port Antigua Beach: Ideas & Solutions + Sea Oats Beach - Sea Oats Beach Story - What's In A Name? - Billboard at Sea Oats Beach - FDOT Project on Lower Matecumbe - FDOT Project on Lower Matecumbe - an Opinion - FKEC Project At"

Keysnews published an excerpt that reads, "It was a role reversal of sorts as the Islamorada Village Council on Dec. 9 unanimously appointed Don Horton to serve as mayor for the next" but the excerpt provided is truncated and does not include the remainder of that sentence. That item requires review of the full Keysnews article or council minutes to confirm the full context of the Dec. 9 appointment.

With all five council seats scheduled for the November 3, 2026 ballot, Horton leads the early field as the first filer; prospective candidates can find qualifying checklists, calendars, and campaign forms on the Islamorada municipal site and contact the Village Clerk at clerk@islamorada.fl.us or (305) 664-6412 for official guidance.