Key WestNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Key West City Commission Election 2026

1 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 2 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Runoff election day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Only District IV is on the Nov. 3 ballot, a runoff between the top two finishers of the Aug. 18 primary.

Runoff election day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    8 candidates on the ballot
    • Byron Donalds · Republican
    • David Jolly · Democratic
    • Scott Eckhard Jewett · Libertarian
    • Charles Burkett · No Party Affiliation
    • Frank J. Russo · No Party Affiliation
    • Moliere "Moe" Dimanche · No Party Affiliation
    • Dean Ocean Abrams · No Party Affiliation
    • Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto · No Party Affiliation
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate (special election)
    • Ashley Moody · Republican
    • Angie Nixon · Democratic
    • Neil J. Gillespie · No Party Affiliation
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideAttorney General · Chief Financial Officer · Commissioner of Agriculture
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 28
  • State SenateDistrict 40
  • Statewide measures3 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01City manager2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn September 2026 the commission voted 4-3 to direct the city attorney to negotiate an amicable separation agreement with city manager Brian L. Barroso.

What's on the tableWhether the city and its manager part ways, and who leads city staff.

  • Mayor Sam Kaufman and commissioners Donie Lee, Chris Massicotte and Monica Haskell voted for the negotiations; Mark Rossi, Lissette Carey and Aaron Castillo voted against. Keys Weekly
  • Barroso began work as city manager in January 2025 and his contract is slated to end in January 2029. Keys Weekly
02City attorney2 sourced facts

Where it standsAttorney Mayanne Downs of Orlando has served as city attorney on a contract basis, an arrangement officials acknowledge was meant to be temporary.

What's on the tableWhether and how to hire a permanent in-house city attorney.

  • The Oct. 1 agenda included resolutions directing an immediate intensive search for a City Attorney. Keys Weekly
  • Commissioners and Downs acknowledge the contract arrangement is not ideal. Keys Weekly
03Sargassum and water quality2 sourced facts

Where it standsLaws restrict removal of the sargassum that inundates Key West beaches each summer, and Mayor Kaufman wants pilot removal and reuse projects.

What's on the tableWhether to pursue sargassum pilot projects and how to prioritize water quality.

  • Mayor Sam Kaufman wants the city to pursue potential pilot projects with scientists and businesses interested in sargassum removal and reuse. Keys Weekly
  • A recent special meeting on sargassum fascinated and frustrated officials and residents given current laws restricting removal of the seaweed. Keys Weekly
04Housing, permitting and business costs2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Planning Board approved Year 13 Building Permit Allocation System awards in May 2026, and business cost questions led the Chamber of Commerce forum.

What's on the tableHow the city handles permitting, housing and the cost of doing business.

3 notes on these statements

Sarah Compton and Wayne Garcia advanced to the Nov. 3 runoff after the Aug. 18 primary because no District IV candidate won a majority. Keys Weekly · Aug 19, 2026

Commissioner Lissette Carey did not seek reelection. She will be succeeded by either Sarah Compton or Wayne Garcia, who face a Nov. 3 runoff election. Keys Weekly

Wayne Garcia serves on the Key West Planning Board. City of Key West Planning Board action minutes, May 21, 2026 · May 21, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should Key West add workforce housing?

  2. 2. What should the city change first to help local businesses?

  3. 3. What should the city do first on water quality?

  4. 4. What should the commission do about the city manager?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted1 council decision, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Key West is runWho runs Key West, and what it costsThe city manager earns $265,000. See council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Sam Kaufman, Chris Massicotte, Mark Rossi1 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • Key West voters elected the mayor in the Aug. 18, 2026 election. Keys Weekly · Aug 19, 2026
  • Commissioners are elected by district; Mark Rossi won District II and Chris Massicotte won District V on Aug. 18, 2026. Keys Weekly · Aug 19, 2026
  • A candidate needed 50 percent plus one vote to win outright in the Aug. 18 election; no District IV candidate reached it. Keys Weekly · Aug 19, 2026
  • Sam Kaufman voted yes to direct the city attorney to negotiate an amicable separation agreement with city manager Brian L. Barroso (passed 4-3, September 2026). Keys Weekly

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