Key West election results surprise many

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

There will be three new faces on the Key West City Commission as a result of Tuesday’s election results. And it was a night of surprises for both the losing candidates in the 2015 city commission race, as well as for some of the winners.

Former Circuit Court Judge Richard Payne won over incumbent Commissioner Tony Yaniz by a shocking two-to-one margin, 66 percent to 33 percent, leading Payne to say he was “astounded” by his victory. And Sam Kaufman, who ran against former Key West City Mayor Morgan McPherson in District II, said he was surprised by his 62.5 percent margin of victory over McPherson’s 37.5 percent.

“I was very surprised,” Kaufman said shortly after the election results were announced in Old City Hall on Greene Street. “I was shocked. I really thought we were down by a lot.”

Compared to those two races, Margaret Romero’s margin of victory over Mike Mongo in District V was the closest, 53 percent to 47 percent. But she pledged to represent all the residents in her district.

“Whether you supported me or not, I will do my best for all the citizens of Key West,” Romero said. “I will be open and candid as always. I will ask thought-provoking questions to make the best decisions.”

Yaniz, who was running for a second term as city commissioner, had drawn complaints over his sometimes confrontational style on the dais, where he often challenged his colleagues, in particular Mayor Craig Cates. But he was unapologetic after the results were announced, bringing his candidacy to an end.

“I never prostituted myself. I never sold out. I never backed up,” he said. When asked during a radio interview whether he would have changed anything about his tenure, he said. “Not a God damned thing. I am who I am. If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

Payne wasn’t quite sure why he won by such a large margin. He said he and his team stood in roads with election signs, went door to door and made phone calls to constituents in his district.

“We worked hard and just kept working every day,” he said, adding, “We did all the things you should do to get elected. We didn’t go negative and neither did my opponent.”

Also on Tuesday’s ballot were elections for three Utility Board seats. Seven candidates sought election to the board, which governs Keys Energy Services.

Two incumbents won reelection; Mona Clark in Group Four and Charlie Bradford in Group Five. In Group One, where incumbent Barry Barroso stepped down, three candidates fought for his seat. Steven Wells was the victor over Donna Bosold and James Marquardt, with a 50.18 percent margin that just barely avoided a run-off election between the top two candidates.

“It’s going to be a big savings to the public,” Wells said about the city not having to pay for a run-off election. “I would have done it if I had to.”

Voter turnout in Tuesday’s election was approximately 30 percent, down from 41 percent in the last city election in 2013.

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