This story is part of a statewide partnership of 27 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 school board elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership.
A former Monroe County Schools superintendent is taking on the incumbent vice chair of the school board in a race that offers voters different visions of leadership for one of the highest performing school districts in the state of Florida.
Theresa Axford, 79, spent almost five decades working in the Monroe County Schools, and is running against incumbent School Board member Darren Horan, 47, in the nonpartisan District 1 race.
Axford argues her time leading the district is what qualifies her to serve on the board, while Horan says his first term positions him to continue initiatives that focus on student nutrition, teacher housing and district planning.
The school board members approve budgets, oversee the district policies, evaluate and hire superintendents and make decisions on behalf of 8,000 students in Monroe County. Voters will decide on Aug. 18 who will represent District 1 on the Monroe County School Board.
Axford did not return two emails asking to be interviewed nor a third email with interview questions. Two calls to her phone went directly to voicemail. The profile is based on information obtained from her campaign page and interviews with other publications.
Horan: Key West native, school board vice-chair
Horan entered public service through the legal profession, and said he initially became involved with public office after Mindy Conn, who serves on District 3, “dared” him. He is a lifelong Key West resident, and graduated from Key West High School in 1997. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lynn University, graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and is a managing partner of Horan Law, LLLP, a Key West based firm. He shared with Keys Weekly he is a father to three daughters.
Being involved in the community has been a big part of Horan’s career. His campaign biography states he has served as a mentor for Take Stock in Children, was past-president of the Key West Military Affairs Committee in 2019 and is a former board member of the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce.
Horan was first elected to the Monroe County School Board in 2022 and ran against Gabrielle Brown. He received 58% of the vote. Since he took office, he has served as vice chair and oversees budgets, long-term planning and district policies.
He said he supports maintaining strong schools, vital to attract teachers, support families and preserve the quality of the Florida keys.
Axford: Former superintendent is a longtime Keys resident
Axford grew up in Pennsylvania where she met her husband Bill and became a school teacher. In a July 2026 interview with Keys Weekly, Axford recalled her first visit to the Florida Keys.
“My husband and I and our 5-year-old son Rob came to Key West on a vacation in 1976 to visit my sister,” she said. “We fell in love with island life and decided to close up shop in the Northeast and move to the Keys permanently.”
As the couple settled into life in Monroe County, Axford accepted a job as an English teacher at Mary Immaculate High School (now Basilica School of Saint Mary Star of the Sea). She taught there for seven years and was promoted to principal before the Archdiocese of Miami closed the institution in 1986.
Former Superintendent Bookie Henriquez recruited Axford to teach English at Key West High School, kickstarting her 38-year journey in the Monroe County School District. She was selected for the role in 2020, making her the first woman in Monroe County to take on the job.
Axford’s retirement was official on July 31, 2025, where she was honored with the GEM Award and passed the baton to new superintendent Ed Tierney.
She has remained active throughout the Keys beyond education and volunteered with the Zonta Club of Key West, a local club that advocates for women’s health. Eventually, she served as president during her 20 years at the organization.
She chaired the Florida Keys Council of the Arts from 2012 to 2020, and created the latest grant program called “Art Builds Community.”
Horan did not respond to five emails requesting an interview or two phone calls seeking comments for the story. Information about his position and campaign was gathered via candidate forums, public records, previous interviews and Monroe County Supervisor of Elections filings.
Both candidates emphasize track record in education
Axford and Horan have emphasized commitment to preserving Monroe County’s reputation as one of Florida’s highest-performing school districts.
When asked why she became a candidate, Axford told Keys Weekly she is “very passionate about making sure students in Monroe County receive a high-quality education.”
Axford said her experience as principal, district administrator, teacher and superintendent prepares her to serve the school board because of her firsthand experience with the responsibilities a board member takes on.
“These are consequential duties that deserve the perspective of someone who has lived them, not just observed them,” Axford said.
During her tenure as superintendent, she said the district doubled its reserve fund to about $28 million and secured millions of dollars in federal funding. Axford said these these accomplishments showcase her ability to manage finances and prepare Monroe County Schools for future obstacles.
Horan said he is running for reelection to pursue initiatives that he started in his current term, specifically efforts to address workforce housing for support staff and teachers. In a countywide candidate forum hosted by A Tight-Knit Florida Key, Horan said that housing is one of the biggest challenges in the district because the Florida Keys has a high cost of living.
“When I ran four years ago, I ran strictly on one main principle,” Horan said. “And that was to fund housing for our teachers and our support staff. We are now a few short months away from breaking ground.”
Another priority of Horan’s is expanding access to free school meals. During the same candidate forum, he said he wishes to work with state lawmakers to provide free lunches and breakfasts to kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
“My next four years will be making sure the state feeds our kids at no cost,” he said. “I promise I will give you every bit of energy I have making sure that our kids K-8 are fed.”
Fundraising efforts, endorsements
Axford is running in a nonpartisan election. Finance reports for her campaign filed with the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections show that she has financed her campaign through donations and personal contributions. The records show Axford personally contributed though loans, in-kind donations and direct contributions.
The campaign’s largest reported monetary contribution was from George Cooper, who donated $1,000. Expenditures include campaign materials, office supplies and a self-sealing letter, which all came out to $143.76. In-kind contributions were made from Walter Robert Axford for vinyl decals and Theresa Axford for the printing of petition cards while the rest of the contributions were received as checks.
According to campaign finance reports, Axford has raised about $3,036 in monetary and in-kind contributions.
Finance records filed with the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections for Horan show he has raised $3,200, but his filings do not report any in-kind contributions. His funding came from a $3,000 personal loan and a $200 donor contribution. The latest reporting indicated Horan has spent $1,637.76, which is about half of the money raised. Most of the fundraising took place in the second quarter of 2026; there was no fundraising activity in the first quarter.
During his 2022 campaign, he received an endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis. For his 2026 campaign, he has received an endorsement from Monroe County IAFF Local 3909, an organization representing professional firefighters, flight crews and paramedics.
Fundraising has remained relatively even for the District 1 race. Axford reported a little over $3,000 and Horan about $3,200 through a combination of in-kind contributions and monetary contributions.
From the candidates, a final word
Axford believes her decades of experience make her qualified to return to public service.
“In a district as unique as the Florida Keys, there is no substitute for the day-to-day operations of our schools,” Axford said.
Horan said he will continue to build on the work started in his first term, with his commitment to ensure students in need have access to meals.
“I will figure out a way to make sure our kids are fed at no cost to them and no cost to you,” he said.
Carla Carvallo is a senior pursuing a Digital Communications major and a minor in English.
Brianna Duardo is a senior at Florida International University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Digital Journalism.
