Another Candidate Joins Key West City Commission Race
Chris Massicotte Announces Bid for District 5 Seat, Pledging Ethical Leadership and Fiscal Discipline
The 2026 election season is heating up in Key West as another candidate has entered the race for City Commission. Community advocate and civic leader Chris Massicotte announced Monday his campaign for the District 5 seat, pledging to restore trust in local government, curb wasteful spending, and focus on issues that directly affect residents.
Massicotte’s entry follows Commissioner Sam Kaufman’s mayoral bid, marking a rapidly growing field of candidates seeking to shape the city’s post-scandal political landscape. The District 5 race will determine the successor to Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover, who is not seeking re-election as she focuses on her health.
“Commissioner Hoover has been a steadfast voice for our city and a true friend to the LGBTQ community,” Massicotte said in his announcement. “Her years of service and her commitment to equality have left an important mark on Key West, and I wish her comfort and strength as she focuses on her health.”
But Massicotte signaled he would bring a more confrontational approach to fiscal and ethical oversight. “While I deeply respect Commissioner Hoover and our friendship, I often disagreed with her on key issues including her vote to fire the city attorney without cause rather than with cause, which allowed him, despite multiple felony indictments, to walk away with an extra $120,000 of taxpayer money,” he said. “I also disagreed with her vote to side with big developers on the Casa Marina project.”
A graduate of both the Key West Ambassador Program and Leadership Monroe County, Massicotte currently serves as president of the Keys Last Stand board and as a board member for Fair Insurance Rates for Monroe (FIRM). His civic record, he said, centers on protecting the environment, promoting ethical governance, and standing up for the local workforce.
Massicotte has already earned a reputation for fiscal vigilance, having urged the City Commission earlier this year to postpone a proposed special election to extend mayoral terms from two to four years — a move that would have cost taxpayers an estimated $75,000.
“I’m a fiscal hawk,” he said. “I will not tolerate wasteful spending or political pet projects. The taxpayers of Key West deserve better.”
He also pledged to run an independent, conflict-free campaign.
“I will not accept campaign contributions from any business or individual with current or potential business before the city,” he said. “Our leaders should answer only to the voters, not to those seeking special treatment or favorable terms.”
Massicotte said his campaign will focus on affordable housing, infrastructure, water quality, and preserving the island’s character — the same issues that have dominated recent commission debates.
“It’s time to get back to work for the people of Key West,” he said. “That means ethical leadership, fiscal discipline, and common-sense decision-making that puts residents first.”
The District 5 election will be held August 18, 2026.
More information about his campaign is available at www.chrisforkeywest.com.