Merritt Matheson's Bio

Merritt Matheson is Stuart through and through. He grew up here, raised his family here, and has spent his life fighting for the community he calls home.

Born and raised in Martin County, Merritt grew up on the water - fishing local waters, surfing area beaches, camping in Florida preserves and exploring the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. He graduated from Martin County High School in 2001 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado.

The water wasn't just a backdrop for Merritt. It was a calling. He earned his open water diver certification at 12, was working as a lifeguard by 17, and shortly after earned his captain's license and began working on fishing boats right here in Stuart. After college, he spent time in Hawaii working as a charter fishing captain, and it was there that his life took an unexpected turn.

While in Hawaii, Merritt was diagnosed with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare disease affecting the optic nerve that left him legally blind. It would have stopped a lot of people. It didn't stop Merritt. He came home to Stuart, started a family, and got to work.

Merritt and his wife Chelsey are raising their daughters, Isla and Bryn, in the same community that shaped him.

Returning home also meant watching something painful unfold. Toxic algae discharges were devastating the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, the same waters Merritt grew up on. Frustrated by the lack of urgency from those in power, he started showing up: to meetings, to rallies, alongside local environmental organizations. He wasn't content to just be angry. He wanted to fix it.

That drive led him to public service. Merritt served as a City of Stuart Commissioner from 2018 to 2022 and as Mayor from December 2021 through August 2022. In office, he focused on protecting Stuart's quality of life, fighting for the environment and making sure residents had a seat at the table.

While in office, he represented Stuart across the region, simultaneously serving on the Martin County Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Martin County Tourist Development Council, and chairing the Local Coordinating Board for Transportation Disadvantaged. Before his commission term even began, he served on the City of Stuart's Local Planning Agency. Taken together, these roles gave him a deep, working knowledge of land use, infrastructure and transportation.

One of the most significant efforts of his time in office was his role in negotiations surrounding the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, known as LOSOM. Merritt was selected to represent the City of Stuart in these critical discussions, which determine how water is managed and discharged from Lake Okeechobee. Working alongside regional stakeholders, environmental advocates and water management officials, he pushed for stronger protections for the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. The result was a meaningful update to the operating plan that reduced the frequency of harmful discharges to the estuary - a real and tangible win for the waterways and the communities that depend on them.

After his time on the commission, Merritt kept going. In 2024, he helped co-create Martin County Forever, the voter-approved conservation initiative dedicated to preserving environmentally sensitive lands, protecting water quality and keeping Martin County's character intact for generations to come.

Today he serves on the Environmental Lands Oversight Committee (ELOC), overseeing conservation priorities and land acquisition across the county. As governing board president of Indian Riverkeeper and a governing board member of the Rivers Coalition, he continues fighting for the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon - the same waters he grew up on.

For Merritt, none of this is abstract. It's the river he fishes in. It's the neighborhood where his daughters are growing up. It's the Stuart he loves and refuses to let slip away.

Stuart needs steady hands right now. After years of instability and dysfunction at City Hall, Merritt is running to restore what residents deserve: a commission focused on their priorities, not political drama. He's done it before. He knows how to do it again.

Rooted in Stuart. Focused on the future.

Meet Merritt Matheson

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