Pompano Mayor Lamar Fisher In County Commission Race; Ft Laud Mayor Jack Seiler Out
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Pompano Beach Mayor Lamar Fisher jumped into the northeast Broward County Commission race today and immediately became the candidate to beat.
Fisher said he talked with Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler. Seiler told him he wasn’t running for the seat and would back Fisher.
Lamar Fisher
Seiler did not return a call for comment.
The Fort Lauderdale mayor, a former Democratic state House member, has also been mentioned as running for state Attorney General. He said he will make a decision on that race in March, when he leaves City Hall, but that is very late to begin a statewide campaign.
Others have said Seiler should wait to see if the Charter Review Commission places the creation of a countywide mayor on the ballot. If it is placed on a ballot and approved by voters, these other pols say Seiler should run for that new post.
A mayor’s race would be a long time off, maybe 2020 and maybe never. As of today with Seiler out, Fisher is easily the best-known candidate running…for now. There are others out there considering the race, so the situation could surely change by next year.
First joining the Pompano Beach Commission in 2002, he was elected citywide mayor in 2007.
His roots in northeast Broward go way father back. He harkens back to an era when northeast Broward was a sleepy community dotted with farms. The 56-year-old mayor is a fourth generation resident of Pompano Beach and his grandfather was mayor of the city in 1943.
He owns and operates the family business, Fisher Auction Company, which specializes in selling real estate throughout the country. He has been married to Suzan for 37 years and has two children — Tricia, who is an attorney, and Paul, who works at the auction house.
“I want to bring my years of experience in Broward County and on the municipal level to the eight cities in District 4,” Fisher told Browardbeat.com. “I know the issues that cities fight daily.”
Fisher is also the former chairman of the county’s Planning Council, providing him with experience on one of Broward’s hottest issues — growth and development.
And as a mayor in a large community, Fisher should have little trouble raising money.
He entered the race one day after the incumbent Commissioner Chip LaMarca announced he was leaving his seat next year to run for state House.
A Democrat, the numbers in District 4 appear to be in Fisher’s favor. The seat contains 50,435 Democrats and 39,571 Republicans. But the 35,162 voters who are member of neither party have leaned Republican in county commission races, helping one-time Broward Republican Chair LaMarca hold the seat through two elections.
The District contains all or parts of Hillsboro Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes, Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale.
Former Oakland Park City Commissioner Shari McCartney entered the race last week. She is a Republican and her campaign is expected to be well-funded. Here is Browardbeat.com’s post.
Although Fisher has been mentioned as a qualified candidate for higher office for years, the political rumor mill had a different twist on his filing for office Wednesday.
Several sources contend that lobbyist Judy Stern brokered the deal for Seiler to stay out of the race and thus cleared the way for Fisher to be unopposed by any well-known Democrat. Fisher did not even know that the deal was taking place, the sources say.
Stern did not return a call for comment.
My experience is that Stern is given too much credit for manipulating Broward politics. Some see her hands everywhere stirring the political caldron.
My take: Fisher and Seiler are both veteran, independent politicians. Neither can be controlled by Stern or anybody else…expect maybe their spouses.
October 4th, 2017 at 11:42 am
Lamar is a class act. Lets hope he continues to serve with integrity and does not let Judy Stern make bad decisions for him as she has so many others. Not sure what is worse, a Republican winning that seat or Judy Stern gaining back some control at the County Commission?
What happened to Jack???
October 4th, 2017 at 11:58 am
I think Mayor Seiler is waiting for a elected mayor county wide.This is the route that i think he truly wants.As far as Fisher here we will see what happens.According to the math Lamar should win.As far as Judy Stern in the mix doesn.t surprise me at all…
FROM BUDDY:
The elected countywide mayor idea has a long way to go before it is a reality. First, it must be placed on a ballot by either the Charter Review Commission or the County Commission. Then, it must be approved by voters. Neither of these hurtles will be easy to clear.
Of course, the Legislature could probably place it on the ballot. Tallahassee lawmakers have shown no interest in it to date.
October 4th, 2017 at 12:26 pm
Well Buddy we will see.Or Seiler might be waiting for Gwen Graham to have him for Lt.Gov.This would be the ultimate prize for Jack.Again Lamar Fisher might get some company forcing a primary.There is a boat load of people in county district that would give Fisher a run for his money and his Gucci shoes.Felt bad for Lamar a few yrs.ago .He lost his mother in a horrific car accident on Valentines Day in 2014.
October 4th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
So is the mayor running for the Fort Lauderdale District One commissioner seat?
October 4th, 2017 at 12:52 pm
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
159 Days left until we are free and clear of Seiler in Broward County?
October 4th, 2017 at 3:40 pm
Thank God , let him keep doing lawyer deals for Broward county OOPs is that a conflict, how much more corrupt can you be
October 4th, 2017 at 7:34 pm
#5Whew you.Mayor Seiler one thing he did do good in how he represented the city of Ft.Lau.Yes.Boy did he.The ultimate prize was his St.Patrick day parade.Great for businesses.Great for people to showcase their families(except mine.Mother inflicted with Alzheimers was not a Hallmark Christmas(i love cards and receiving them)card).Also Mayor Seiler had some down falls.Homeless situation still a mess(he tried).Having city manager raid(yes)sewer abd water accounts.Water slide bs.No respect for the LBGt.So i play fair.May o r Seiler is also a good atty.and referred several.($).As far as Seiler out.I think he wants Tallahassee.Will see.As far as Lamar wait to you debate him Shari M.Boy does he dress to the nines.Gucci shoes and all.Kinda reminds me of some strange reason of a funeral director.Shari embrace the LBGT.Run on exactlt Chip Lamarca believes ans policy.Have him bring you around.Have him endorse you.Fund raiser as earlier the better.Fix the hospital bs.Go afer Lamar record.Raised taxes etc to live in pompano.Bring up auction house takes up to much time etc.Bring in Trump…
October 4th, 2017 at 10:23 pm
Mayor Lamar Fisher has consistently listened to the concerns of his constituents for the many years I have known him. His word is his bond. If he can solve a situation, he will, if he cannot, he has always brokered compromises. I think he would be a welcome addition to the Board of County Commissioners.
October 5th, 2017 at 4:31 am
Lt Governor God help us.
October 5th, 2017 at 8:16 am
Never buy a retread tire. Never vote for a retread politician. They uproot their families to jump from city to city, district to district to further their own selfish needs.
Examples: A former Dania Beach commissioner resigned his seat on that city’s commission to buy a house in District 4 in Fort Lauderdale and run for that seat on the Ft. Lauderdale commission. He is a realtor and a property appraiser. Who will he represent?
Jack Seiler sold his property in Wilton Manors to set up political shop in Ft. Lauderdale.
Retreads! Don’t buy them.
October 5th, 2017 at 11:42 am
One thing you can be sure of is that “Crooked” Jack Seiler always takes the insider directed path of least resistance. For the record 7% of voters voted in his last election. If he’s willing to hang out for a while suing people for a living and calling in all that delayed quid pro quo legal work from the developer community for a while, I certainly see him more than happy to ride someone’s coattails to the state level as Lt Governor or serve as the insiders’ boy to be their new “strong mayor” of Broward County.
October 5th, 2017 at 7:21 pm
hurdles
October 7th, 2017 at 10:41 pm
@9. tired of politics
don’t worry. will never happen.
October 16th, 2017 at 12:18 pm
As a resident of Pompano Beach, the LAST person I would vote for is Lamar!
Not after the disgusting interference he ran trying to support a screening contractor that illegally remodels kitchens and baths without Workers Comp insurance, a beyond-belief expensive parking garage on the beach and new Community Center THAT IS ALL HALLWAYS, runaway prostitution in Pompano, cops that aren’t allowed to make traffic stops, and now wanting even higher taxes…the last thing ANYone in DIST 4 is Lamar…he wont even give my street PUBLIC SEWERS. See him in action, view the June 27 Pompano Commission meeting and watch him squirm when I confronted him on corruption, even involving Pompano’s new City Attorney. NO THANKS.
I have no idea who the woman is who’s running, but she has MY vote !
October 17th, 2017 at 10:31 am
How does Charlie King get to bash Mayor Seiler constantly when bloggers are supposed to be on subject, i.e. Lamar Fisher?