Commissioner Sam Kaufman’s nascent mayoral campaign means his current District 2 city commission seat will be up for grabs in the 2026 election. And two longtime Key West business owners have announced their candidacy.
Bobi Lore, owner of Island House guest house, filed his candidate paperwork this week. Mark Rossi, a former city commissioner, who has owned Rick’s/Durty Harry’s entertainment complex on Duval Street for 42 years, told the Keys Weekly this week that he’s “not really in a rush to file his paperwork, but is definitely running.”
On his campaign website, Lori describes himself as “a Key West business owner and local activist” who will “stand for the working people of this community, who bear the weight of keeping our island functioning at its best, with integrity and genuine care for their well being.
“I will meet with my constituents regularly and listen to their concerns, learning how I can best serve them. On the commission I will be an advocate for studying, debating, and expressing the pros and cons of any decision we vote on. I will not stand for backroom deals or other actions that are not given the transparency of open debate. My inner compass always points toward the common good,” Lori’s website states.
Learn more about Bobi Lore at bobi4keywest.com.
Mark Rossi
Mark Rossi summed up his campaign in two words to the Keys Weekly on Tuesday evening. “Proven leadership,” he said, pointing to his prior service as the District 2 commissioner, from 2005 to 2015, when Rossi stepped down and Kaufman won an election for the commission seat, which he still holds today.
“I’m gonna stick up for the residents,” Rossi told the Keys Weekly. “This town needs someone to come back and help clean things up. I’ve never taken a salary or insurance from the city, and I won’t this time around. I’m gonna fix the streets. I’m gonna work on the hospital contract for our residents and I’m gonna support the military.”
Rossi currently serves on a fact-finding committee formed to solicit proposals from health care companies that want to run Lower Keys Hospital, as the current operator’s 30-year lease ends in 2029 and the committee members want to see what other entities are interested and what they could provide. He also is a longtime member of the Key West Military Affairs Committee.
“My phone will always be on and my door will always be open,” Rossi said.
