Dates set for March 2025 Longboat Key election

At the town commission’s Nov. 4 regular meeting, commissioners took the first step to officially set dates for the upcoming election which will determine three commission seats. 

According to the ordinance, the upcoming general election will take place on March 11, 2025, and, if needed, the preliminary election will take place on Jan. 28, 2025. The resolution to set the dates was passed to its second reading, which will take place on Dec. 2. 

The qualifying period for the three commission seats is ongoing until Nov. 18. During that time, candidates must secure signatures from qualified voters in the town and present the proper documents to the town clerk’s office. 

If three or more individuals are running for the same town commission seat, then the preliminary election will need to take place on Jan. 28, 2025 to vote for the candidates who will face each other in the March 2025 general election. 

But, if two or fewer candidates run for each of the available commission seats, then the preliminary election will not be held. 

Two at-large commission seats will become available this spring. One of those is currently held by Vice Mayor Mike Haycock, who will reach his term limit and therefore be ineligible for re-election. 

Commissioner-At-Large BJ Bishop’s seat will also be up for election, and she has previously stated that she intends to run again for the same seat. 

District 5 Commissioner Sarah Karon’s commission seat will be another one on the ballot due to unusual circumstances. Karon is currently serving a 14-month term, for which she earned the appointment by fellow commissioners in January after the resignation of Debbie Murphy. 

Murphy cited the state’s new Form 6 requirement as the key reason behind her resignation. 

Karon then took over the District 5 commission seat for 14 months, until the next general election which will be the March 2025 election. The candidate who is elected in the March 2025 election will serve the remainder of Murphy’s original term, which extends through March 2026. 

Recently, Murphy submitted her paperwork to the town clerk’s office to run for Haycock’s At-Large Commission seat. 

Residents interested in running for any of the commission seats must secure 10 petitions signed by qualified voters in the town and submit the documents to the town clerk’s office. 

For more information, contact the town clerk's office at 941-316-1999 or [email protected].