Following a failed attempt to recall Commissioner Lissette Carey in Key West’s District IV, a longtime resident has entered the race to unseat Carey and represent the residents of that area.
Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies had to invalidate the recall petitions because they were not gathered within the timeframe required by the state.
Local business owner and community advocate Sarah Compton on Oct. 27 filed paperwork to join the city commission race in District IV “with a campaign built on three simple promises: Brave leadership, honest service and community first.”
“I’m running because I love this island and the people who make it what it is,” Compton said in a campaign press release. “Key West deserves leadership that listens, that tells the truth and remembers who it serves — our neighbors, our workers and our small businesses.”
Compton, who owns a locally based hospitality and marketing agency, has long worked to strengthen connections among local businesses, concierges and cultural organizations. Her career has centered on collaboration, transparency and protecting the character of the island she calls home.
“When we lead with integrity, everything else follows — stronger neighborhoods, fairer policies and a government people can trust again,” she said. “I’m not here to play politics. I’m here to serve this community and to help build the kind of future we can all be proud of.”
Her campaign emphasizes fiscal responsibility, cultural preservation and rebuilding public trust through open, honest communication. She hopes to bring residents together across divides to ensure Key West continues to thrive as a community guided by compassion and fairness.
Compton’s campaign will focus on three key priorities:
- Integrity Over Corruption: Decisions based on fairness and facts, not favoritism.
- Community Over Politics: Putting people before power and fostering open communication.
- Future Over Status Quo: Protecting what makes Key West special while planning smart for what’s ahead.
“Key West has always been One Human Family,” Compton added. “Our job now is to make sure that spirit is reflected in City Hall.”
For more information about Sarah Compton’s campaign, visit ComptonForCommissioner.com or follow @SC4IV on social media.
Commissioner Lissette Carey did not immediately return a request for comment asking whether she intends to seek reelection.
The District IV race will likely be hotly watched, given the recent attempt to recall Carey given her involvement in the clandestine plot to oust former city manager Al Childress and a scathing review of her job performance this past spring by a Monroe County grand jury.
Carey recently asked the city to reimburse her for the money she spent fighting the recall attempt, after she had said in a public meeting that she would allow the democratic process to play out.
The Keys Weekly will update this article when we hear back from Commissioner Carey and other commission hopefuls in District IV.
