Claire London dropped out of the Key Biscayne Village Council race on Friday, saying she wants to prioritize her husband Ed London, who has faced health concerns. Her name will still be on the ballot, officials said.
“His health always comes first,” she told the Key Biscayne Independent.
“I would be putting 110% of my time into [the Council],” she said. “My husband hasn’t been that well over the last — everybody knows that here — over the last year. I realized that his health is more important than me running for office and the time it takes to take care of my husband. I need to do that.”
Her departure instantly transformed the November contest into a four-way race, with the unusual complication of her name remaining on the ballot.
“It’s too late to remove the candidate from the ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and ballots printed,” said Juan Mendieta, an Elections Department spokesperson.
Sample Ballot for Key Biscayne, Sept. 25, 2026. Despite her withdrawal, Claire London’s name will remain on the ballot.
Two incumbents, Oscar Sardiñas and Fernando Vazquez, are vying with Silvia Tarafa, a political newcomer and former school principal, and Luis “Lucho” de la Cruz, a former council member.
As for early voting and in-person voting, Mendieta said a notice of her withdrawal will be posted in voter privacy booths once the Department gets an official notification of her withdrawal.
Ed London, now 86, was term-limited and is wrapping up his third-term on the body. Claire London has been a Key Biscayne for over three decades after moving from England.
Claire London intends to remain involved in the community and support the council from an outside perspective. She has provided significant support to charitable organizations focused on animals and children.
Never miss a story! Sign up for our FREE newsletter
She also served as President of the Grove Club Condo Association in Coconut Grove for 19 years, she said. Additionally, she is a real estate associate, served on the Key Biscayne Beautification Committee and the Key Biscayne Dog Park Committee, and was the Vice Chair on the Key Biscayne Film Festival Board.
“I do hands-on [work] from small nonprofits to larger non-profits… I will always continue to do that, and that does take up a lot of my time too,” she said.
Ava Menkes is a senior reporter with the Independent, covering local government and accountability. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in journalism and political science, and minors in history, European studies and Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian studies. She previously interned with theRaleigh News & Observer,Wisconsin Watchand Isthmuscovering state politics, investigations and elections. She also worked withThe Nation,and served as managing editor of her university’s paperThe Daily Cardinal, leading 2024 presidential coverage.