Updated Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. By Fallan Patterson and Ken Jackson Staff Writers State Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, is ending his re-election campaign after allegations surfaced he was a client at an east Orange County home-based brothel.
State Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee

"I deeply regret decisions I made that are causing my family unjustifiable pain and embarrassment," he said in a statement to the News-Gazette Monday. "My family still deserves better from me, as do all of friends, supporters and constituents.

"I've had no greater honor than serving the people of Florida, but I have no greater priority than doing the right thing for my family. I pray to have the chance to earn back their trust and respect during the remainder of my life."

Horner, also the president of the Kissimmee Osceola County Chamber of Commerce, was running for his third term in District 42 against Democrat Eileen Game.

Horner is also stepping back from his position at the chamber and is "taking personal leave," spokeswoman Wendi Jeannin said, adding chamber vice president Cindy Lewis handle the day-to-day operations in his absence.

"The chamber is still operating as normal," she said, also dispelling the rumor that a board meeting has been scheduling in regard to Horner's tenure.

Chamber chairman Pete Pace said in a statement late Monday that its leadership is still in evaluation mode.

"Mike Horner has been a stellar leader of this chamber for 15 years, ushering our membership through unprecedented growth and stability. As of this time, Mike Horner is taking some time to be with his famil," Pace said. "Our prayers are with the entire Horner family and the Osceola community as we move through this troubling period."

Osceola County Commission Chairman John Quinones, who sits on the Chamber of Commerce board as a county representative, said the chamber is working to decide Horner’s future with the organization.

“'I’m sure that's a discussion that will take place. I'm learning about the situation along with everyone else, and we should let the appropriate steps be taken,” he said.

Florida House Speaker Designate Will Weatherford’s office released a statement Monday indicating Horner had dropped out of the race.

“Today, I received word of Rep. Horner’s decision to drop out of his race for re-election. I believe he made the right decision," Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said. "It is in the best interest of our state and his family. As elected officials, we are held to a high standard and no member of the Florida House is above that standard.”

The Osceola County Republican Executive Committee has until Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. to choose another candidate; as per state law, the party is allotted five days to name a new candidate. Otherwise, Game will run unopposed.

Additionally, votes will be made under Horner’s name for the Republican candidate because the ballots for the Nov. 6 election have already been printed, Osceola County Supervisor of Elections spokeswoman Amber Smith said.

“Using wording from the state, we will have a sign in every voting booth that will say a vote for Mike Horner will go toward whomever they appoint,” she said.

Committee Chairman Danny Sexton said the executive committees from both Osceola and Polk counties will meet face-to-face Saturday to discuss individuals who asked to be considered and others the party would like to see on the ballot.

“This is a very, very important issue. The clock has started ticking,” Sexton said. “I can assure you that my main focus is finding a qualified candidate to represent the people of Osceola County.”

Quinones, a former state representative who lost the August primary Republican seat for U.S. Congress to Todd Long, is not interested in replacing Horner when asked at Monday’s County Commission meeting.

“'I’m concentrating on my role as a county commissioner. I love what I do,” he said. "I am concerned that Osceola County already doesn't have a lot of representation in Tallahassee right now."

Commissioner Frank Atkisson, who held that Florida House seat from 2000-08, prior to Horner's election (and subsequent redrawing of district lines in 2010), said the county party committees have to do their due dilligence, and is aware that he could possibly be asked to step in. He said he wouldn't make any decisions on doing so unless he is specifically asked.

"It's a Republican seat, and I think we can win it, but I'm very cautious, there are some tough circumstances involved now," he said. "We have a lot of things about to happen at the county level, and I'd like to be able to see those things through."

The committee plans to announce their candidate selection Oct. 1 to give the SOE time to check the person’s qualifications.

While Horner did not officially resign from the state representative seat he’s held for four years, because the Florida House is out of session, Sexton said “by dropping out of the race, he’s effectively left his seat as well.”

Sexton, who has worked with Horner at the committee for four years, said it was an “understatement” to say he was shocked by the news and that his thoughts are with Horner’s wife and son.

Atkisson said that, to his credit, Horner has done the right thing in this immediate aftermath by putting his family first ahead of other aspirations.

"He was a rising star, and and had come farther than most second-term representatives," he said.

Horner was listed with hundreds of other clients that alleged prostitution ringleader Mark David Risner, 54, provided to the Orange Osceola County State Attorney’s Office. Risner, who has since bonded out of the Orange County Jail, is also facing racketeering charges.

The client list included the name “Mike Horner, Congressman,” according to SAO spokesman Det. Bernie Presha. However, the person was not confirmed as State Rep. Mike Horner by SAO and the representative has not been arrested and is not the subject of an investigation.

According to the arrest affidavit, Risner was arrested in August for allegedly running a brothel out of his home at 2318 Vincent Road east of Orlando in unincorporated Orange County, a few miles southwest of the University of Central Florida.

According to neighbor Corrine Miner, who has lived next door to the house for 47 years, and runs a home day care and taken care of state-sponsored foster children there for 43 years, Risner owns the house, acquiring it when his parents died.

When shown a picture of Horner, Miner said that she had seen him there "a couple of times, dressed up nice, several months back," among other people -- men and women -- who frequented the house, until the SWAT team raided it one day in April.

"It'd been going on four or five years," she said. "I'd call police and they'd tell me not to open my doors or windows so I thought it wouldn't do any good. I can't say anything bad ever happened. Cars would be coming in day and night. For a while I just thought he had roommates."

Miner said that a woman in her mid-30s who she thought was Risner's girlfriend, "Renee," would come talk to her every once in a while. Miner said Renee told her who Horner was and that he was a state representative.

"She was bi-polar, so when she'd get mad she'd come over and tell me things that would go on there and it was stuff that'd make your hair stand up on end," Miner said. "Other times she'd come over but then say she had to leave and 'give a massage.' I guess that went over my head."

Presha said the State Attorney’s Office is not investigating the clients listed because the prostitution charge is a misdemeanor and the alleged acts did not occur in front of law enforcement nor were they recorded.

“There are so many of them (clients) and we would only do that (investigate them) if we were going to charge them,” Presha said.

Risner, who currently does not have an attorney, is scheduled for his initial appearance Oct. 17.

State Rep. Mike Horner’s campaign website, www.gohorner.com, was “down for maintenance” Monday.

As Chamber president, Horner successfully lead a petition drive to hold Osceola County Commission races as non-partisan. Voters will decide that issue Nov. 6.

Horner, 44, was a member of the U.S. Army Florida National Guard and is married with one son.