Fort Myers Beach residents voted to recall two sitting Town Council members on Tuesday, though it remains unclear if the decision will stick in one case.
Lee County election results show 63.59% of voters in the city voted to recall Town Council member Karen Woodson. Additionally, 63% of voters also voted to recall Town Council member John. R. King, but he has a lawsuit challenging the legality of the recall election that remains pending, according to WGCU.
King in a Facebook post predicted the results of the recall on him will not survive in court.
“I received good news from the Judge who found the recall petition against me to be deficient as a matter of law. Therefore, the election regarding me is void,” he posted.
But the same judge dismissed a lawsuit from Woodson, meaning her recall will go forward.
Meanwhile, a Special Election for the two seats saw Tom Brady and Rebecca Link come out on top. Link won 42.58% of the vote while Brady won 42.14%, as Ed Rood came in last with just 15.29%.
With Woodson recalled, that means Link will replace her on council. Brady, though, will take a seat only if King ultimately loses his case in court. Of note, the margin between Link and Brady is within the 0.5% margin to call for a machine recount of votes, but that only will be needed if the courts ultimately decide King keeps his seat and only one of the replacement candidates can fill a vacancy from the recall.
Regardless, the votes appear to mark the first successful recall attempt of an elected official in Lee County in roughly 75 years. The move came after the two officials supported a high-rise development at the site of the Red Coconut RV Park, which was leveled by Hurricane Ian and then sold in September 2023.
The Town Council last December voted 3-2 in favor of a Seagate proposal to build a 170story condo building on the land, as reported by Gulf Coast News.
