Key West election forums set summer schedule for mayoral races

Key West voters will get four chances this summer to see the mayoral field face to face before ballots are cast, starting with a June 12 meet-the-candidates gathering at Tennessee Williams Theatre. The race is already narrowed to incumbent Dee Dee Henriquez and Samuel Kaufman, while Chris McNulty is listed as withdrawn, and the city says the mayor must win a majority, meaning 50% plus one, to take the seat outright.

The first event is designed as a presentation, not a debate. Hometown! Key West says the official candidate roster will be finalized at noon on June 12, then the evening begins with a 5:00 p.m. meet-and-greet and 5:30 p.m. candidate speeches at Tennessee Williams Theatre. The first moderated question-and-answer forum open to the public follows on June 23, when the Key West Chamber of Commerce holds its forum at the same theater. Another Hometown forum is set for July 13, and the summer schedule wraps with a Lower Keys League of Women Voters debate on July 23 at Harvey Government Center.

The calendar matters because the city’s nonpartisan election is moving quickly toward the Aug. 18 primary. Monroe County election officials say vote-by-mail ballots for the primary will begin going out July 9, early voting will run from Aug. 3 through Aug. 15, and canvassing of vote-by-mail ballots begins Aug. 10 at 9:00 a.m. at the Supervisor of Elections office in Key West. Book closing is July 20. For residents trying to compare the candidates before ballots are mailed and early voting opens, the debate window is now set.

The mayoral contest has also become a test of campaign style and accountability. Kaufman has pressed for more public debates and launched weekly live question-and-answer sessions, while Henriquez said on May 15 that an email campaign issue involving city resources had to be reviewed with the city attorney. Kaufman also sent a letter on April 29 urging Henriquez to debate, saying residents and business owners deserve to hear directly from both candidates.

Key West’s elections page now centralizes candidate lists, polling locations and campaign finance information, giving voters one place to track the contest as it moves from petitions and filings to public forums and, finally, to the Aug. 18 primary.