In the Keys, 14 win elected office without opposition

In the Florida Keys on Friday, 14 races were settled without an election as candidates ran without any opponents, including the Monroe County sheriff, two School Board members, the clerk and one Key West city commissioner.

Reelected to new four-year terms were Republican Sheriff Rick Ramsay, Republican Clerk of Courts Kevin Madok, Republican Property Appraiser Scott Russell, Democratic Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin and Key West City Commissioner Jimmy Weekley.

Also reelected were School Board members Mindy Conn and Andy Griffiths; Mosquito Control Board Commissioners Republican Jill Cranney-Gage, Republican Brandon Pinder and Democrat Stanley Zuba; Key West Utility Board Commissioner TIm Root; and Key Largo Fire and Emergency Medical Board Commissioner Tony Allen.

Newly elected without opposition were Republican Tax Collector Sam Steele and Key West Utility Board Commissioner Pat Labrada.

Qualifying for office ended at 12 p.m. Friday in Monroe County.

In Key West, two longtime incumbents have drawn competition for four-year terms and two candidates are taking on the incumbent Mayor Teri Johnston.

Commissioner Clayton Lopez will face chiropractor Ryan Barnett and activist John Wilson Smith in the Aug. 18 primary. Commissioner Billy Wardlow will run against Kimball Ingram, who runs Aqua bar.

Mayor Johnston is on the ballot with bar owner and former city commissioner Mark Rossi and former vacation rentals broker Rick Haskins.

City voters will go to the polls Aug. 18. If a runoff is needed in the mayoral or Lopez races, it will be held Nov. 3 during the general election.

Polls will be open both Aug. 18 and Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Three Monroe County Commissioner seats are contested this year.

Democratic County Mayor Heather Carruthers will run against Republican Eddie Martinez for the District 3 office that represents Key West. They will meet in the Nov. 3 election.

Republican Commissioner Craig Cates, appointed to the board by the governor, will face Democrat Annalise Mannix on Nov. 3.

Cates had competition for the primary from former Tax Collector Danise “Dee Dee” Henriquez, but she recently dropped out of the race.

With Commissioner Sylvia Murphy of Key Largo retiring, Republicans Mike Forster, Robby Majeski and Independent Jose Peixoto want the District 5 office.

Key Largo Wastewater District Board of Commissioner Sue Heim will face Kay Cullen and Nicolas Rodriguez-Moresco.

The Key Largo Fire & Emergency Medical Board Commissioner seat 3 race is between Kenny Edge and Michael Jenkins, while incumbent Commissioner Danny Powers, in seat 5, will take on Ronald Spodnik.

Key Colony Beach Commissioner Ron Sutton has competition from Gary Furtak, Thomas Harding, Kimmeron Lisle and Patricia Trefry.

This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 4:06 PM.

Gwen Filosa

Miami Herald

Gwen Filosa covers Key West and the Lower Florida Keys for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald and lives in Key West. She was part of the staff at the New Orleans Times-Picayune that in 2005 won two Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of Hurricane Katrina. She graduated from Indiana University.