The Naples Better Government Committee has announced endorsements for the upcoming Naples City Council election, backing four candidates after a full day of interviews and deliberations.
The committee is endorsing Ted Blankenship, incumbent Ray Christman, John Krol and Scott Schultz.
Although three Council seats are up for election this cycle, the committee said it opted to recommend four candidates due to what it described as the overall strength and depth of the field. The group did not endorse the other four candidates: Dan Barone, John Langley, Sally Petersen and Penny Taylor.
According to the committee, members conducted one-on-one interviews with all eight candidates over a six-hour period, beginning in the morning and concluding midafternoon. Following the interviews, committee members spent nearly an hour in closed-door discussion evaluating each candidate’s leadership ability, experience, vision for the city and commitment to Naples.
The Feb. 3 election will help shape the seven-member Naples City Council, which consists of a Mayor and six Council members elected at large on a nonpartisan basis. Council members and the Mayor serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms under the city charter.
The Naples Better Government Committee describes itself as a long-standing civic organization that has conducted candidate evaluations and issued nonpartisan recommendations to voters for decades. The group’s executive board and membership include individuals with backgrounds in business, real estate, law and civic leadership, and members represent both major political parties.
The committee encouraged Naples residents to remain engaged and informed, and actively participate ahead of the municipal election.
“These endorsements reflect our mission to promote transparent, accountable, and effective local government,” Committee President Scott J. Lepore said in a statement. “While we recognize the strengths of every candidate we interviewed, we believe these four individuals are best positioned to serve Naples with integrity, experience, and vision.”
