Dean Trantalis, longtime mayor of Fort Lauderdale, won a third and final term Tuesday despite a fierce challenge from three rivals who blamed him for what they referred to as overdevelopment that has gridlocked traffic downtown and along the coastline.
The four-way race for mayor included candidates Kenneth Cooper, an attorney who lost to Trantalis in 2020; Jim Lewis, an attorney making his 10th run for political office; and Barbra Stern, an attorney making her first run for mayor. A fifth candidate, Chris Nelson, dropped out of the race in mid-October.
In the two-way race for the District 1 commission seat, voters chose incumbent John Herbst over Norbert “Norby” Belz, a business owner making his first run for office.
In District 2, incumbent Steve Glassman trounced former commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom and Chad Van Horn, an attorney making his first run for office.
In District 4, voters chose former commissioner Ben Sorensen over three challengers: incumbent Warren Sturman, a cardiologist elected two years ago; Kevin Cochrane, a tech entrepreneur who financed his own campaign; and Ted Inserra, a community activist known for speaking up at City Hall.
Mayor’s race
In Fort Lauderdale, the election came during an era of fast-paced growth that has seen a boom in high-rise construction amid ongoing challenges that include flooding woes, traffic gridlock and a worsening homeless crisis.
Trantalis, an attorney who has been mayor since 2018, argued he was the best choice to guide the city through the next four years. Voters agreed.
Trantalis said he was proud of the positive campaign he ran.
“I tried to run a clean campaign, talking about the issues and meeting face to face with neighbors trying to find ways we can all work together to make Fort Lauderdale the best city it can be,” Trantalis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday night. “I just want to thank the entire community for its support. I think the residents want to see another four years of success we’ve come to enjoy so far.”
Jacqueline Fenster, a business consultant, was not at all swayed by critics’ outcry over Fort Lauderdale’s growing skyline.
“Fort Lauderdale has become a big city,” she said Tuesday after casting her vote. “Most people seem to be happy with the current mayor. I think he’s doing a good job.”
In Fort Lauderdale, the mayor and commissioners serve a four-year term.
They are among the highest-paid elected officials in Broward County. The mayor earns $106,920 a year. Commissioners are paid $89,100.
The winners in all four races will be sworn in on Dec. 3.
District 1 race
Herbst spent 16 years as Fort Lauderdale’s city auditor before being fired in a late-night meeting in February 2022. That same year, he decided to run for the District 1 commission seat and won easily against three rivals.
He scored a second win Tuesday despite a challenge from Belz, a small-business owner and member of the city parks board making his first run for office.
Herbst will continue to represent northeastern Fort Lauderdale, a sprawling district that includes Galt Ocean Mile and the Galleria mall.
“I feel very good about this,” Herbst said. “We worked very hard at the campaign, similar to the last one where we walked through all the neighborhoods and knocked on doors every weekend. I want to continue working on closing the loop on Lockhart Park and other things I want to see get done.”
District 2 race
Glassman soared to victory Tuesday despite a spirited challenge from two opponents who accused him of ignoring residents’ concerns over an ongoing development boom. Glassman argued that Fort Lauderdale’s master plan paved the way for high-rise development that has become the envy of other cities.
“I feel very gratified,” Glassman told the Sun Sentinel on Tuesday night. “I feel that all of the hard work and accomplishments over the last six and a half years have been recognized by my constituents. And I’m so looking forward to serving every single one of those neighborhoods, and we are going to keep moving forward.”
Glassman has represented District 2’s high-profile neighborhoods on the barrier island and near Las Olas for the past six years.
He lost to Rodstrom in 2009, but ran again in 2018 and won. A retired teacher and former administrator for the Broward County Cultural Division, he was reelected in November 2020. This will be his third and final term as the District 2 commissioner.
District 4 race
Sorensen was the clear winner Tuesday night, beating three rivals to take back a seat he left in 2022.
“I’m so grateful for the neighbors of District 4 who stood up and worked together to ensure that this campaign was one driven by issues and solutions,” Sorensen said Tuesday night. “I’m honored to be part of where our city is heading, putting neighbors first.”
Two years ago, Sturman narrowly won a seat on the commission, defeating Cochrane by only 49 votes.
This time, Sorensen held the lead in the four-way race, edging out Sturman, Cochrane and Inserra, a retired chef who ran for the District 4 seat in 2022.
Sorensen first joined the commission in March 2018. He was reelected without opposition in November 2020. Sorensen resigned in 2022 midway into his term to make an unsuccessful run for Congress.
As the District 4 commissioner, Sorensen will represent both downtown and neighborhoods south of Broward Boulevard.
“I am so pumped,” he said.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan
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