Ray Christman defeated as Ted Blankenship, John Krol and Scott Schultz win Naples City Council seats

Naples voters rejected incumbent Ray Christman in his re-election bid for Naples City Council, while electing former Council member Ted Blankenship, John Krol and Scott Schultz to fill two open at-large seats and Christman’s seat on the City Council, capping a crowded eight-candidate race for City Council.

Preliminary results released by the Collier County Supervisor of Elections show Blankenship, a former City Council member, finished first with 2,959 votes (16.9%) followed by Krol with 2,381 votes (13.6%) and Schultz, who finished with 2,364 votes (13.5%). Christman placed fourth with 2,260 votes (12.9%), falling short of re-election.

About 38.1% of voters turned out for the city election, with 6,262 ballots cast among 16,451 eligible voters.

Blankenship is a Naples resident, businessman and community volunteer who has served on multiple nonprofit boards and coaches cross country. First elected to the City Council in 2020, he has positioned himself as an independent voice, frequently emphasizing accountability and opposition to what he describes as entrenched interests at City Hall. His campaign highlighted civic engagement, family values and a commitment to representing residents rather than special interests, according to his campaign website. He left office in 2024, and will now be returning. 

Krol is a longtime Naples resident and community leader who has served as Chairman of the city’s Code Enforcement Board. A businessman and father, Krol has emphasized transparency, accountability and collaborative problem-solving in local government. His campaign focused on preserving Naples’ natural environment, improving water quality and infrastructure, and maintaining the city’s quality of life as it grows, according to his campaign website.

Schultz is a longtime Naples resident and Michigan State University graduate who retired from a career in financial services in 2017 after managing more than $5 billion in assets and earning a five-star Morningstar rating for separately managed accounts. He currently serves on the City of Naples Planning Advisory Board and previously represented District 4 on the Collier County Coastal Storm Risk Management Advisory Committee, where he worked on coastal protection and flood resiliency issues. Schultz has also spent more than two decades as a tennis professional and is a certified pickleball instructor. He and his family divide their time between Naples and his wife’s native Finland, according to his campaign website.

Schultz’s campaign survived scrutiny of regulatory actions tied to his past work in financial services, including sanctions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and regulators in Michigan related to unregistered investment activity and disclosures. Schultz has said the matters were resolved, involved no client losses, and were outdated issues that do not reflect his professional record.

“This election showed that Naples residents want thoughtful leadership, not politics as usual,” Schultz said in a statement. “I look forward to working collaboratively with my fellow council members, city staff, and our community to deliver real solutions and preserve the character that makes Naples special.”

Leading up to the race, Naples Better Government endorsed Blankenship and Krol, along with Christman and Schultz, opting to recommend four candidates despite only three seats being available. Responsible Government Naples endorsed Christman, Dan Barone and John Langley, arguing that its slate would promote business-friendly policies and broader accountability to residents.

The seven-member Naples City Council consists of a Mayor and six Council members elected citywide on a nonpartisan basis. Council members serve four-year terms under the city charter. Council members Beth Petrunoff and Terry Hutchison did not seek re-election while Christman lost his bid to retain his seat and another term on Council.