NO FALSE NARRATIVE: Seven of Eight Key West Candidates Confirmed for Final Forum; Mayor Henriquez To Be a No-Show
Voter forum Thursday at Harvey Government Center is last chance to hear from candidates before election.
KEY WEST — Seven of eight candidates running for mayor and three City Commission seats have confirmed they will appear at Thursday’s candidate forum hosted by the Lower Keys League of Women Voters — the last scheduled opportunity for voters to hear directly from those seeking to lead Key West.
The one notable absence: incumbent Mayor Danise Henriquez, who will not attend due to what her campaign called a “prior scheduling conflict” — a curious conflict, given the nonpartisan forum has been on the civic calendar for months.
Her challenger, Sam Kaufman, confirmed and will have the mayoral stage to himself.
Ladies and Gentlemen… Let’s Get Ready to Rummmbbbble!
Ed. Note: This content is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by or produced on behalf of any candidate, campaign or political committee in Monroe County. It is solely the opinion of the journalist based on more than 25 years of covering politics in the Florida Keys and Key West, interactions with individual candidates and observations during political forums.
All candidates in the three contested City Commission races have confirmed:
District 2: Bobi Lore and Mark Rossi
District 4: Sarah Compton, Wayne Garcia and Juan Llera
District 5: Chris Massicotte and Greg Sullivan
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Ave. The forum begins at 6 p.m. and will air live on MCTV, Comcast Channel 76 and AT&T U-Verse. It can also be found on ROKU (Monroe County Government) and the county’s website.
The event is free and open to the public.
Contrary to false narratives being pushed by the mayor’s supporters, The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan civic organization founded in 1920, shortly before the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
Originally created to help newly enfranchised women become informed and active participants in democracy, the League has evolved into a nationwide network focused on voter education, election access, government transparency, and encouraging civic participation.
The organization does not endorse candidates or political parties, but it does advocate for public policy positions adopted through member consensus.
Local Leagues often host candidate forums, publish voter guides, monitor government meetings, and provide election information designed to help citizens make informed decisions at the ballot box.