Johnston in run-off for Key West mayor but recount needed to determine opponent

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

After an intense mayoral race in Key West that included as many as 12 candidates at one point, it looks like there will be a run-off election between former city commissioner Teri Johnston and Margaret Romero, who gave up her first-term seat as city commissioner to run for mayor.

However, because Romero received only 28 more votes than the third-place challenger George Bellenger, a recount will take place today, Aug. 29. If two candidates are separated by less than one-half of one percent in vote totals, an automatic recount is required by state law.

Johnston needed 51 percent plus one of the total votes to avoid a run-off.

With all precincts reporting on election night, Romero came in far behind Johnston, 21.25 percent to 48.88 percent, or 3,077 votes to Romero’s 1,338. Bellenger received 20.81 percent, or 1,310 votes.

In other races, in District 5 – Romero’s district – Mary Lou Hoover easily beat Wally Moore by a 65-35 percent margin. Hoover received 847 votes to Moore’s 453 votes.

In District 4, attorney Greg Davila won out over Jenn Stefanacci. Davila received a little more than 79 percent of the vote, 983 votes, to Stefanacci’s 21 percent, or 258 votes.

In the Keys Utility Board Seat D, the newly established seat for Key West, there will be a run-off election on Nov. 6 between Robert Barrios and Beth Ramsay-Vickrey. Barrios received just over 39 percent, 3,744 votes, to Ramsay-Vickrey’s 25.5 percent, or 2,448 votes.

On the one ballot question, whether to increase school taxes by up to one-half of one mill to pay for increased security measures at Monroe County schools, the measure passed handily by 60-40 percent, 10,120 votes in favor to 6,736 votes against.

Total vote turn-out in Monroe County was just under 46 percent, or 17,705 voters who cast ballots.

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