The mayoral race in Key West saw a new wrinkle this week when the Key West Chamber of Commerce announced it was endorsing city candidates for the first time in the chamber’s 100-plus year history.
On August 4, Chamber President Amber Shaffer emailed the organization’s 550 or so members announcing its unprecedented endorsement of incumbent Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez over current city commissioner Sam Kaufman. The endorsement also included commission candidates Greg Sullivan, Juan LLera and Mark Rossi.
“This election has become extremely divisive and social media has played a large part in creating a polarizing hostile narrative,” the chamber endorsement announcement states. “The Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce has never before taken a position on any individual candidate. Traditionally we hold a Candidates Forum to help inform our members and our citizens of issues that matter most to the business community.
“After our forum, our Board of Directors discussed whether we should take a stand in this election. The stakes are high and it was decided that we would be doing our membership a disservice not to publicly take a position on who we feel will move Key West forward while supporting a healthy business climate and a strong quality of life for everyone who calls our island home.
“It is with that in mind that the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce proudly endorses
Danise ‘Dee Dee’ Henriquez for mayor, Mark Rossi for District II, Juan Llera for District IV and Greg Sullivan for District V.”
The chamber’s announcement became immediate fodder on local social media accounts with criticism, cries of bias and questions about what made the stakes so high in this race, compared to prior years.
The Keys Weekly presented Shaffer and chamber executive director Kerry Baker with written questions including what unprecedented issues the city faces that warranted the chamber’s first-ever endorsement, what specific qualifications the candidates demonstrated to earn the endorsements among other questions presented on Keys Weekly’s social media post.
In a emailed response, Baker wrote, “The Chamber’s board of directors is elected by its membership and is entrusted with making decisions on behalf of the organization…Like any elected governing body, the board is sometimes required to make difficult decisions that may not reflect the views of every individual member. Its responsibility is to exercise its best judgment in the interest of the … business community it represents.”
One lingering question remaining is whether candidates were told of the board’s decision to endorse at any time during the campaigns and specifics around “the high stakes.”
“Given the highly contentious nature of this election, the board began discussing the issue early this year, particularly after concerns arose over repeated derogatory comments and references directed at the Chamber, our board and many of our members, who are also residents of this community,” Baker wrote.
Sam Kaufman, who was not endorsed by the chamber for mayor, told the Keys Weekly after the endorsements were announced, “From the beginning of this campaign, I have made it clear that I will not run a negative campaign. I have repeatedly asked my supporters to focus on the issues and to treat everyone with respect because the people of Key West deserve a campaign about solutions, not personal attacks. That has not changed.”
Early voting is open through August 15. The mayor’s race will be decided on election day on Tuesday, August 18. This is considered a “universal primary” meaning any party affiliation will vote on both the municipal race as well as the mosquito control, utility board, county commission and school board.
