John King and Karen Woodson recall, Fort Myers Beach, Florida (2025-2026)
| John King and Karen Woodson recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Karen Woodson |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 4, 2025 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Florida Florida recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall Town Councilmembers John King and Karen Woodson was held on November 4, 2025, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida.[1] Voters recalled King and Woodson, but only Woodson was removed from office. Circuit court judge Kyle Cohen issued a stay on King’s recall, allowing him to remain in office pending an appeals court decision.[2] The filing deadline for candidates interested in running in the replacement race was September 22, 2025.[3][4]
Recall vote
King recall question
John King recall, 2025
John King lost the Fort Myers Beach Town Council At-large recall election on November 4, 2025.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
63.0
|
1,037 | ||
No |
37.0
|
609 | |||
Total Votes |
1,646 | ||||
|
|
Woodson recall question
Karen Woodson recall, 2025
Karen Woodson lost the Fort Myers Beach Town Council At-large recall election on November 4, 2025.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
63.6
|
1,048 | ||
No |
36.4
|
600 | |||
Total Votes |
1,648 | ||||
|
|
Replacement question
Rebecca Link won the replacement election with 1,053 votes and took Woodson's seat on the Fort Meyers Beach Town Council. Tom Brady finished second with 1,042 votes. He is set to replace King pending an appeals court decision on King's removal from office.[2]
General election
Special general election for Fort Myers Beach Town Council At-large (2 seats)
Rebecca Link defeated Thomas Brady and Edward Rood in the special general election for Fort Myers Beach Town Council At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rebecca Link (Nonpartisan) | 42.6 | 1,053 | |
| Thomas Brady (Nonpartisan) | 42.1 | 1,042 | ||
| Edward Rood (Nonpartisan) | 15.3 | 378 | ||
| Total votes: 2,473 | |||
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Recall supporters
Former town council members Bill Veach and Ray Murphy are organizing the recall effort.[3]
The recall petition for King reads as follows:[5]
| “ |
John King should be recalled from his elected office as Councilor for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida for misfeasance and malfeasance, as described below: 1- John King engaged in private conversations to coordinate with Karen Woodson in soliciting a replacement Town Attorney in violation of Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, Chapter 286, Florida Statutes and in violation of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council Policies and Procedures Manual. 2- John King received unreported gifts of meals from parties who were seeking land use approvals from Town Council in violation of Florida's Code of Ethics for Public Officers, Chapter 112, Florida Statutes, and in in violation of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council Policies and Procedures Manual. 3- John King violated Section 4.04 of the Town Charter by dictating the removal of multiple Town contract employees.[6] |
” |
The recall petition for Woodson reads as follows:[5]
| “ |
Karen Woodson should be recalled from her elected office as Councilor for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida for misfeasance and malfeasance, as described below: 1 - Karen Woodson had a private conversation with Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt regarding rebuilding the Lee County Pier destroyed by Hurricane Ian in violation of Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, Chapter 286, Florida Statutes. 2- Karen Woodson engaged in private conversations to coordinate with John King in soliciting a replacement Town Attorney in violation of Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, Chapter 286, Florida Statutes and in violation of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council Policies and Procedures Manual. 3- Karen Woodson received unreported gifts of meals and in-kind services from parties who were seeking land use approvals from Town Council in violation of Florida's Code of Ethics for Public Officers, Chapter 112, Florida Statutes; and in in violation of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council Policies and Procedures Manual.[6] |
” |
Recall opponents
King gave the following statement regarding the recall effort:[5]
| “ |
The recall petitions have nothing to do with the unfounded allegations that have been levied against me. Instead, they are merely a sad, desperate, last-ditch effort to change the outcome of the vote on the Seagate development and halt the rebuilding efforts underway on the island. A small, disgruntled faction of our community will stop at nothing to get their way, even if it means tarnishing the reputations of a hard-working, highly dedicated council members.This action will have additional consequences, creating a negative perception of Fort Myers Beach and discouraging the development we so badly need to maintain our economic viability and independence as a town.[6] |
” |
Woodson gave the following statement regarding the recall effort:[7]
| “ |
I am aware that a petition for my recall has been initiated. While I respect the rights of citizens to express their opinions through the democratic process, I want to take this opportunity to share my perspective with the residents of Fort Myers Beach. From the beginning of my term, my focus has been on preserving the character of our community, supporting responsible development, and making decisions based on what I believe is in the best long-term interest of our town. I understand that not everyone will agree with every vote or position I’ve taken—but I have always acted with transparency, integrity, and a deep commitment to public service. I welcome open dialogue and remain fully committed to representing all residents. My door is open, and I encourage those with concerns or questions to engage with me directly. Fort Myers Beach is stronger when we work together—through challenges and disagreement—with civility and mutual respect. That is the approach I will continue to take as your councilmember.[6] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Florida
Florida allows the following grounds for recall: malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, and conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.[8]
From the time that the recall petition is approved for circulation, signatures must be collected within 30 days. The number of signatures required depends on the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction. A minimum of 50 signatures are required in jurisdictions with fewer than 500 registered voters. In jurisdictions with 500 to 24,999 registered voters, a minimum of 100 to 1,000 signatures are required, or 10% of registered voters, whichever is higher. In jurisdictions with 25,000 or more registered voters, the number of signatures required is 1,000 or 5% of registered voters, whichever is higher.[9] The officeholder then has a chance to file a defensive statement. In the second round of signature collection, organizers have 60 days to collect signatures equal to 15% of registered voters from the officeholder's district.[9]
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2024 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Fort Myers Beach, Florida
- Recall campaigns in Florida
- Political recall efforts, 2026
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Beach Talk Radio News, "Recall Election Ballot is Set," September 23, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The News-Press, "In a recall, Fort Myers Beach voters oust Karen Woodson from Town Council by a wide margin," November 4, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fort Myers Beach Observer and Bulletin, "Petition effort underway to recall councilmembers King and Woodson," May 2, 2025
- ↑ Beach Talk Radio News, "Recall Election Ballot is Set," September 23, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Beach Talk Radio News, "Campaign Underway to Recall 2 Council Members," May 6, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Fox 4, "Fort Myers Beach petition to recall two leaders over ethics concerns," May 6, 2025
- ↑ The 2023 Florida Statutes, "100.361 Municipal recall." accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The 2020 Florida Statutes, "Fla. Stat. Ann §100.361," accessed August 24, 2021
