Crowded field vying for Fort Lauderdale mayor, commission seats

Fort Lauderdale, FL — A crowded field of candidates are vying for seats on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission this fall. Several candidates have lined up to compete for Mayor, and to represent Districts 1, 2, and 4 through 2028. One incumbent, Pam Beasley-Pittman, was reelected without opposition in District 3. The coastal city which serves as the Broward County seat, has underwent massive changes over the past few years. With the June 14th noon qualifying deadline behind us, the field is solid. Let's delve into a brief preview of each race.

Mayor

Lawyer Dean Trantalis was first elected Mayor in 2018, defeating fellow city commissioner Bruce Roberts in a March runoff election in a landslide. He became the city's first openly gay mayor, and a much needed refresh for the city following the terms of Jack Seiler. Before his election to the gavel, he served as the District 2 City Commissioner, representing parts of coastal Fort Lauderdale and the suburbs. During his tenure, he has led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, a once-in a-thousand year flood that tore through the city, and has presided over the rapid growth and development of the city's downtown and surrounding areas. Trantalis, 70, is running for one last four-year term as Mayor of Fort Lauderdale. In an email, Trantalis told supporters "Our city has experienced phenomenal growth these past several years, and it has been our challenge to manage that growth in order to welcome new folks while at the same time maintaining the quality of life we have all come to expect and have enjoyed. Seeing Fort Lauderdale prosper has given me such pride." Trantalis' critics, many of whom are anti-development, want to see a change in city hall. Four additional candidate have qualified to challenge Trantalis.

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Leading the herd is Kenneth D. Cooper, a landlord and property owner who unsuccessfully challenged Trantalis in the 2020 election. Trantalis won that election by a 16% margin. Cooper owns Cooper Properties, a real estate agency prominent in Fort Lauderdale. Cooper has raised $1,000 to date, and has not had much of a visible campaign. However, observers expect Cooper's campaign to raise more and become more competitive as the election approaches. After all, he did receive a whopping 42% of the vote in 2020.

Cooper is joined by perennial candidate Jim Lewis who has raised $9,600 and has $6,400 on hand to date, conservative anti-mask activist Chris Nelson, and lobbyist Barbara Stern. Nelson has made headlines for protesting local mask mandates and curfew ordinances, and is a fixture at school board, county, and city commission meetings. He's seen as a strong ally to Governor Ron DeSantis. Nelson has raised $1,555 to date, and spent $0. Barbara Stern, daughter to controversial lobbyist Judy Stern is also running. Stern has raised $4,000, to which she still has $2,838 to her name. Her contributions come almost entirely from her mother ($2,000) and self loans ($2,000).

Common topics in this race include overdevelopment, a county-proposed elevated rail through downtown Fort Lauderdale, and the city's response to the April 2023 floods that resulted from torrential downpour. Challengers say Trantalis isn't focused on the needs of the people of Fort Lauderdale. Challenger Jim Lewis believes the problem is at the top. "I have decided to run for Fort Lauderdale Mayor now because I am concerned about the direction of our city. Unchecked growth threatening our quality of life, favoring the interests of developers over the interests of our neighborhoods. Our city has been plagued with crisis after crisis because of poor government planning." However, campaign donations show that it will be a very tall order to unseat Trantalis, who is the clear favorite to win the race. Trantalis has raised $266,847 to which he has $201,579 in cash on hand.

District 1

District one covers the Northeastern suburbs of Fort Lauderdale, including a section of the city's coast. Incumbent commissioner John Herbst won the seat in a 2022 special election, beating two opponents in a landslide. Previously, Herbst served as the city's Auditor,  being fired from that role by the city commission. He won election to the seat that same year. To date, Herbst has raised $173,650 to defend his seat. He faces a challenge from leadership coach Norby Belz, who has raised $63,966 and has half that on hand. According to his website, Belz has spent 16 years "serving at an academic medical center, serving as a director, professor, and department chair." His campaign's priorities include growing and expanding local businesses, fighting coastal flooding, public safety, smart development, and combating homelessness.

"Our city has experienced phenomenal growth these past several years, and it has been our challenge to manage that growth in order to welcome new folks while at the same time maintaining the quality of life we have all come to expect and have enjoyed. -Mayor Dean Trantalis

District 2

District 2 covers coastal Fort Lauderdale, including Flagler Village, South Middle River, the Beach and much of A1A. The district is represented by Steve Glassman, who is running for reelection. Glassman was elected in 2018, succeeding then-commissioner Dean Trantalis who successfully ran for mayor. Glassman has raised a whopping $353,982 to defend his seat, with $322,000 on hand. He face challenges from attorney Chad Van Horn, and former commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom. Rodstrom was eliminated by Trantalis in the 2018 mayoral election. She previously represented the district for a term before unsuccessfully running for county commission. Rodstrom has raised $17,860 and has roughly $10,000 on hand. Van Horn is the owner of Van Horn Law Group, P.A., a bankruptcy and personal injury firm. Horn has raised $1,000 to date. Glassman's campaign priorities include smart development and flood mitigation. Glassman appears to be the favorite for the seat, barring any major changes.

District 4

District 4 covers Downtown Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding areas, including Rio Vista, Sailboat Bend, and SW Fort Lauderdale. The incumbent is Warren Sturman who very narrowly won a special election to the seat in 2022, by about 49 votes. He faced a crowded field to succeed Ben Sorensen, who vacated the seat to run for Congress. Sturman, a medical doctor who lives in the city's downtown, has raised $130,988 and has about $120,000 on hand. He faces a spirited challenge from his predecessor Ben Sorensen who is seeking a return to the dais. Kevin Cochrane, an opponent from 2022, is also challenging him. Sorensen, 46, is a leadership trainer and an officer in the U.S. Navy. He held the seat from 2018 until 2022, when he challenged U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz in the Democratic primary to succeed Ted Deutch in Florida's 23rd Congressional District. Sorensen's campaign priorities include "fast-tracking infrastructure improvements, improving public safety, carrying out responsible city planning, and protecting our neighborhoods." He has raised $141,699 and has about $100,000 on hand as of the last report. Kevin Cochrane, a marketing strategist has raised $1,500 to date. Cochrane's website reads his priorities, including slowing development and ensuring clean waterways. "Fort Lauderdale is a complex multi-billion dollar enterprise. It needs community-led vision, strategy, and a real plan for growth."

At major focus in this race is a county-proposed project to build an elevated rail bridge through the heart of downtown. Downtown residents oppose the project. Trantalis, and others, have suggested that a tunnel would be better. Sturman has instead been a proponent of the bridge, voting to support it due to costs. Sorensen opposes the bridge. This is likely an issue that will further divide the community, causing backlash from the electorate. Additionally, many residents of the district have reported that Sturman is inaccessible, and hard to reach. A resident who requested to remain anonymous for fear of backlash has told The County that she reached out to Sturman's office multiple time and have yet to receive a response. She received an email asking for a campaign contribution, however. This is likely to be the city's most vicious race.

The election will be held on November 5th, 2024, and is open to all voters regardless of party affiliation. You can check your voter registration at browardvotes.gov.