Election rumors starting to fly in Key West

Election rumors starting to fly in Key West

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

With three months days to go until the Aug. 28 primary election in Key West, rumors are already flying about who is supporting who in the ultra-competitive campaign for mayor.

Rumor: The Southernmost Republican Club is supporting mayoral candidate Danny Hughes and has contributed financially to his campaign. Not true, according to club President Jennifer Hulse.

“There are several Republicans in the race and we would never endorse one candidate over another in a primary,” she said.

Republic Club member and its former president Todd German confirmed this, saying there has been “zero talk of that.” The club would consider endorsing a candidate in the general election on Nov. 6 if a Republican is running against a Democrat, German added.

Rumor: Key West Mayor Craig Cates has endorsed Danny Hughes for mayor. Again, not true. Although Cates has attended several campaign kick-off events, including Hughes’, he is trying to help any candidate who asks for it, including ideas on campaigning and background information on issues affecting the city.

However, Cates said he has made donations to three of the mayor candidates: Hughes, Teri Johnston and George Bellenger.

“I just wanted to show I believe in them,” he said. “Danny [Hughes] is a front-runner. Teri [Johnston] is a front-runner. So are Mark Rossi and George Bellenger.”

Some of the other candidates might disagree with Cates’ front-runner assessment. However, three of those four have raised the most money so far, according to records filed with the Monroe County elections office. Hughes has raised $46,110 and spent $32,725. Johnston has raised $25,952 and spent $6,649. And Bellenger has raised $11,475 and spent $1,751. The mayoral fundraising then drops precipitously to Randy Becker, who has raised $1,110.

Several of the other candidates who have filed with the county elections office have either not raised any money or have not reported to the elections supervisor yet. Candidates Rick Brown, Bill Foley, Robert Goodreau, Mitchell Jones, Cari Noda, Margaret Romero and Mark Rossi have $0 after their names on the election website.

But several of them will have to have some funds on hand before the June 22 deadline for candidates to “qualify,” or be ruled eligible to run for office by the county election supervisor. May 21 was the deadline to submit petitions to the election office with a specified number of voter signatures supporting the candidates’ campaign. Mayoral candidates need 154 signatures. Key West City Commission seats need between 19 and 30 signatures, depending on the population in specific districts.

Several candidates did not submit petitions, choosing instead to pay a fee that is $1,350 for a mayoral candidate and $1,200 for a city commission candidate. The candidates who did not submit petitions are Rick Brown, Robert Goodreau and Mitchell Jones in the mayor campaign; and Mary Lou Hoover, who is running for city commissioner in District 5 against Wallace Moore, Jr. Hoover and Moore want to replace Commissioner Margaret Romero, who is giving up the seat to run for mayor.

A second candidate has filed papers to run for Key West City Commissioner in District 4, joining Greg Davila, a member of the Key West Parking and Alternative Transportation advisory board, to replace Commissioner Richard Payne, who is not running for reelection. Jennifer Stefanacci, 34, a managing partner of 22&C bar on Duval Street, has tossed her hat into the ring to replace Payne. Stefanacci is on the board of the Sands Montessori School and one of her campaign issues is to improve the appearance of the downtown entertainment district, including Duval Street.

The District 2 city commission seat is also up for election this year. The incumbent, Sam Kaufman, is running unopposed thus far.

In addition to the local Republican Club, the Florida Keys Democrats are also sitting back during the primary in terms of making endorsements. Chairman Bert Sise said it is against club rules to endorse in a primary election.

“They [candidates] all have to be treated equally. The primary is for the voters to decide on their candidates,” she said.

That being said, Sise said she is “heartened” by the number of candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, who are running in Key West.

“People are paying attention and want to be involved in the process,” Sise said.

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