Two Republicans are vying for the Monroe County Commission’s District 5 seat representing Tavernier through Ocean Reef. Holly Merrill Raschein, who was chosen by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the seat after the death of then-commissioner Mike Forster, squares off against Key Largo resident Jose Peixoto, who’s previously ran for Congress, Florida House and county commission. The winner of the Aug. 23 primary will go on to take the commission seat.
THE KEYS WEEKLY ASKED:
- Why are you running for Monroe County Commission’s District 5 seat?
- If elected, what’s the first thing you’d do as county commissioner?
HOLLY MERRILL RASCHEIN
Government relations director
1. I have devoted my entire professional career to serving our community and I’m proud to be able to work every day to try and make our community better and our government more efficient. It would be an honor to continue to serve the residents of Monroe County as their county commissioner. I love our Keys!
2. If elected, I’d like to continue focusing on the issues I prioritized during my first term. We need to continue to protect our water quality and unique way of life and we need to keep streamlining and making the process of working with local government easier for residents. “Government is best which is closest to the people.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
JOSE PEIXOTO
General housing maintenance
1. Living in Key Largo for over 31 years and working in this community with my wife, Bianca, who’s a Key Largo School Teacher, we have raised three wonderful kids from Key Largo School all the way to college. I am capable and know all the problems we are facing in our community. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to live in this great country being an immigrant from Brazil and having the opportunity to raise my kids with freedom and prosperity. I believe I can bring some improvements and changes to the board of commissioners. I don’t have any ties with big developers, sugarcane daddys, lobbyist groups, big corporations and I’m not career politician. I will work to improve the quality of life for Monroe County residents.
2. If elected, I’d like to review some of the affordable housing projects and contracts because some darkness exists there. All affordable housing projects in the Upper Keys are being used for weekend retreats and not for hardworking Florida Keys people.I’d like to find the resources to bring metal detectors to schools, and find resources to help our great sheriff to hire more officers. Since we are surrounded by the ocean, we need to help him get money to create a full marine unit. Today, the FWC patrols our shores but there aren’t enough officers and equipment to be every place we need them. Our coral reefs are being destroyed, our mangroves and seagrass forest have been damaged, and our second largest economic resource is the fisheries industry, and they’re being hurt when people steal lobster and crabs from their traps. I’d also work with state and federal governments to create a fee to nonresidents of Monroe County to pay when they enter the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which could help destress traffic and bring some money to protect our environment.
