‘Incredible pride’ to be Key West’s first Jewish mayor, Samuel Kaufman says

Samuel Kaufman has been elected as Key West, Florida's first Jewish mayor in the city's nearly 200-year history. A lawyer and current city commissioner, Kaufman, a Democrat, secured approximately 58% of the vote, defeating incumbent Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez. He expressed "incredible pride" in his new role, emphasizing the honor and responsibility of contributing to the city as a Jewish person. Kaufman noted that his campaign benefited from crossover Republican votes following a corruption scandal involving three officials in the previous administration. He highlighted Key West's strong connection to the Jewish community, including a significant Israeli presence, which he believes contributes to the city's lack of anti-Israel sentiment, evidenced by the unanimous city commission resolution condemning the October 7th terrorist attack and the subsequent raising of the Israeli flag at City Hall for four months. Managing tourism, particularly cruise ship traffic, was a key campaign issue, with Kaufman advocating for limiting daily cruise ship arrivals.