As votes from Key Colony Beach’s single voting precinct were tabulated on election night, the city returned Mayor Freddie Foster to the dais while adding newcomer Lynne Benton to serve into 2027 and beyond.
WIth just 689 votes cast, Benton secured the highest total, earning 35.56% with 245 votes. A razor-thin margin separated the leader from incumbent Kirk Diehl, who conceded his seat after earning 217 votes (31.49%). Foster finished with 227 votes for 32.95%.
While Diehl finished as the highest vote-getter on Election Day with 102 votes, Benton and Foster earned strong margins in vote-by-mail ballots, claiming 90 and 71, respectively, to Diehl’s 57.
The small Middle Keys city has seen significant strides in the past year, headlined by more than $16.7 million in grant funding largely directed toward wastewater and stormwater improvements, canal cleanups and improvements to KCB’s parks and recreational facilities. A remodeled and expanded City Hall is set to be complete in early 2027.
“I’m grateful to the voters for their support and trust in my leadership,” Foster told the Weekly. “The city is divided, and we need to find a way to bring it together. I’m also thankful for commissioner Diehl’s service over the past year and efforts to continue moving our city forward in several crucial areas, and will miss him on the dais.”
A member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, Benton repeatedly stressed a need for a citizen-driven Master Plan in prior campaign interviews with the Weekly.
“A Master Plan can define our shared vision, followed by clear consistently applied ordinances that protect both property rights and the unique character of Key Colony Beach,” she said. “(This plan) would establish funding priorities, anticipate future needs and prevent costly reversals as leadership changes.”
“It was a tough and close race, which I knew would happen with the small town we have,” Diehl told the Weekly. “I may have lost the election, but I gained a lot of acquaintances and friends in the process.”
Benton and Foster are set to be sworn in at the commission’s regular session on Thursday, Dec. 17.
