Key West’s New Mayor Strikes a Hopeful Note

Key West’s closely watched mayoral race pitted an incumbent against a longtime city commissioner. In the end, Sam Kaufman decisively defeated former Mayor “DeeDee” Henriquez, ending her tenure after one term.

Nearly a week later, on August 24, Kaufman was sworn in. In his first official address, he largely steered clear of policy specifics, instead calling on islanders to move beyond a bruising campaign that might prove hard to forget, and repair divisions that had deepened in recent months.

After first thanking his family, Kaufman stressed that the city and its people must come before individual differences.

“Because whether you agree with me or not in the past,” he said, “it doesn’t matter. We have to put that in the past. We have to put the city first. The city is first. The people are first, not us as individuals. We have to come after the city, what’s best in the best interest of our city.”

Kaufman also called for a return to joy and respect in public life, encouraged new ideas, and often invoked Key West’s enduring “One Human Family” motto.

The following are key excerpts from Kaufman’s address shortly after being sworn in.

The Election is Over

Whether you voted for me or not, I want you to know something from the very beginning. I will be your mayor too. We're all in this together. The election is behind us. Now we have an opportunity to come together and focus on something much more important, the future of the community that we love.

The Return of Joy and Respect

There has been a lot of division in our community. I don't want that division to define us. I want this next chapter to be about what brings us together. I want us to celebrate the good in Key West and the good in one another. I want us to bring more joy, kindness, optimism, and respect into our public life. And I want us to spend less time tearing people down and more time lifting people up. There is so much good happening in our community. Let's build on it. And I invite everyone who shares that spirit to join us.

One Human Family

We won't agree on everything. That's okay. We can disagree and still respect one another. We can debate an issue without becoming enemies. And we can always remember that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. We all love Key West. One Human Family is more than a phrase that represents Key West. It is a statement about who we are and who we aspire to be.

Following Through

My approach as mayor will be pretty simple. Listen, prioritize, and follow through. Listen to our residents. Focus on the things that matter most. And when we say we're going to do something, follow through and get it done.

Bring the Fun Back

We need to bring fun back to City Hall. I mean, let's be real, right? Let's bring some fun back. And I can tell you over the last 10 months, I've met some fun people that I didn't know before. Some have become like family and I'm relying on you to bring the fun back to City Hall. Let's do it together. And let's leave Key West a little bit better, a little bit happier than when we found it.

This is Your City Hall

We are one human family. The same principle should apply to our government. Whether you've lived here your entire life or arrived here more recently, whether you're a business owner, a city employee, a senior citizen, a working family, or a young person just starting out. This is your city and this is your city hall. Everyone is welcomed here.

Remember a Community of Neighborly Aid

Key West should be a place where people feel good about their community and good about being part of it. Every day throughout Key West, people quietly step forward to help others. Our volunteers, our nonprofits, our faith communities, teachers, first responders, city employees, neighborhood leaders, small businesses, and ordinary people who see someone who needs help, who needs help, and simply ask, "What can I do?" It happens everywhere across this island. I see it all the time. That is Key West at its best. I want the mayor's office to recognize it, celebrate it, could encourage it, and be part of it. I want us all to be part of it.

Key Challenges Ahead

We do have serious work ahead of us. We need to make it possible for people to afford to live here. We need to protect our environment and our waters. We need to take care of our senior citizens, which we're not doing effectively. We need safe neighborhoods. We need strong public services. And we need a city government that is open, responsive, accountable, and worthy of the public's trust.

Bring Your Ideas

My challenge to you, all of you, is to bring your ideas. Bring your positive energy. Let's be positive. Let's be optimistic. We can do great things if we partner together. We have to partner together. We can't continue the cycle of hostility of division. We can be positive together, and I will do everything I can to get us there, and I will work with everybody. Bring your talents, bring your optimism. If you see something that needs fixing, help fix it. When you come to City Hall and you have something that you see needing fixed, help us fix it. Be part of the solution. I'm imploring you. We all have to take responsibility together to make this work. If you see someone doing something good, help celebrate it. If you have an idea that can make you us better, bring it forward. Let's make this term defined not by division, but by what we can accomplish together.