BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Katie Delaney, the North Brevard County commissioner who championed pay increases for Brevard County firefighters and increasing accountability in county government, is leaving office before her first term ends.
Delaney announced Wednesday night at the county commission meeting that her family had decided to accept a “life-changing” opportunity that would take them out of state.
The Republican ran in 2024 as an outsider against more established candidates, promising to make changes to how county government was run. That’s a goal she told the commission would continue with her staff and supporters.
“We didn’t just show up. We shifted the culture. We proved that bold, servant leadership still has a place here in Brevard County,” she said.
Delaney also posted a video to her Facebook page, saying that sometimes life throws you a curveball, but acknowledging that some would be disappointed by the decision.
Delaney came to prominence as an early member of Moms for Liberty, campaigning to end the school quarantines for COVID-19 in 2021, and also spoke out against educational tools used in the district that the group claimed promoted far-left ideology, like critical race theory and social-emotional learning.
But she also became a champion in pushing direct community engagement with government, something she took with her when she became a county commissioner for District 1, which included the northern part of the county.
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Delaney urged the community to continue to demand that same level of engagement on Tuesday night.
“Thank you for standing beside me through it all, I will carry that with me long after this chapter closes,” Delaney said.
Delaney’s resignation will be effective May 2. Gov. DeSantis will be the one to appoint someone to serve as commissioner through the end of Delaney’s term, which ends in 2028.