The Primary Proved: Future of Broward Politics Is Black
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward County’s politics have finally caught up with the demographics.
Growing in population and influence for years, blacks got their political payoff Tuesday — Black candidates captured the five top offices in Broward in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Oh, there is Republican, independent and write-in candidates for some of these offices which will formally be decided in November’s General Election. But this is Democratic Broward. Almost always the race is over in the Democratic primary.
What happened in the primary was a hurricane of voters blowing away the old political establishment.
Sheriff.
Public Defender.
State Attorney.
Clerk of the Courts.
Supervisor of Elections.
They will be held in the future by blacks.
It wasn’t only black voters who chose the winners.
“Whites appeared ready for black candidates. They wanted change, too,” one political consultant pouring through precinct returns said. (Every political insider reached refused to allow their name to be used, fearing antagonizing Democratic activist or personal friends.)
Tuesday’s election also was an unusual situation in some races that had multiple candidates. That favored a candidate who could build a slim lead with a unified bloc vote. For instance, Harold Pryor had 21.2 percent of the vote, but in a field of eight Democrats vying for State Attorney that was enough to win. Joe Scott was first in the Supervisor of Elections race with 24.84 percent in a field of six.
A win is a win no matter how big.
The black wins will no doubt usher in a new political era. Blacks will control Broward’s future politics as whites are relegated to the sidelines.
Dale Holness, the Broward mayor and perhaps the most visible and effective black political leader.
Perhaps gasping its last breath in countywide contests, the white political establishment took severe beatings in the primary.
State Attorney candidate Josh Rydell, Public Defender candidate Tom Lynch and Clerk candidates Mark Speiser were the darlings of that old establishment. They were crushed by black opponents.
“There is no meaningful white political leadership left,” one long-time white political observer opined. “Whites have no real leaders that can deliver. They are still waiting for the voters from Century Village to save them. Those people and their world are gone.”
In contrast, Blacks have a growing leadership and candidate base, powered by voters.
Whites, who have few if any realistic future countywide candidates, will be an afterthought.
That is not to say that any black can win in the future.
First, there are significant divisions in the black community that could impact future elections. Caribbean blacks, Hispanic blacks and African Americans often don’t see eye-to-eye.
On Tuesday, many blacks seemed to be unified. Still, victorious candidates did not win solely because of their ethnicity:
- Incoming Public Defender Gordon Weeks, State Attorney Harold Pryor and the next Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott were excellent candidates with sterling resumes.
- Sheriff Greg Tony had a record in office he could brag about which overcame the barrage of negative publicity surrounding his past. It didn’t hurt that Tony had over $1 million in campaign money.
- Clerk of the Courts Brenda Forman — the less said about her the better.
Who are the winners and the losers? A list of some, surely not all, are below:
WINNERS
- Dale Holness: The Broward Mayor’s advertising and palm cards served to show black voters which candidates looked like them. “The cards were the king and the king of cards was Dale,” one white consultant said.
- The Broward Teachers Union: They are credited with helping Sarah Leonardi beat incumbent School Board member Heather Brinkworth. That political muscle should help the union in the next negotiations.
- Money, Money and more Money: Faceless, secretive political committees were important in the primary. Sheriff Tony won despite unrelenting negative publicity about his past. He only won with boat loads of money, much of it funneled through a committee by one Fort Lauderdale hedge fund billionaire. Joe Kimok rose from nowhere to a second place finish in the State Attorney’s race because of an injection of hundreds of thousands of dollars by billionaire George Soros’s committee. Expect more PAC money in the future. A lot more.
- Voting By Mail: An overwhelming number of voters preferred filling out ballots in the comfort and safety of their homes. Roughly three out of four primary Democrats chose to vote by mail.
- Pete Antonacci: Appointed as Broward’s elections chief, he ran a seemingly flawless primary despite the coronavirus and a record turnout in a primary. It is interesting that Antonacci supervised Tuesday’s election better than the past two elected Supervisors of Elections — Brenda Snipes and Miriam Oliphant.
- The Black Political Leadership: Not only Holness, but a whole cadre of black leaders from Congress to the courthouse were on display on Tuesday.
LOSERS
- Mike Satz: The 44-year retiring incumbent State Attorney tried to anoint deputy Sarahnell Murphy his successor. Despite plenty of money and an endorsement from the Sun-Sentinel, she came in third.
- Progressives: Moderate Democrats carried the day. Despite an estimated $750,000-plus from George Soros, Kimok lost. So did Progressive opponents of U. S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and School Board candidates.
- White Political Consultants: Barbara Miller, Judy Stern, Mike Ahearn and much of the rest may become an afterthought for candidates in a county where whites will count less increasingly in the future in the all-important Democratic primary. No matter how many contacts white consultants have in the black community, it doesn’t match being black. They could still help in a subordinate role, working in white precincts. Or join teams which contain influential blacks.
Mike Ahearn
- Retreads: Former Democratic Party Chair Mitch Ceasar, former School Board member Jennifer Gottlieb, former judges Tom Lynch, Paul Backman and Speiser all lost. Handily. Voters were seeking something new. “This was obviously the end of the old Democrats. Unfortunately for us, there are almost no new ones,” one Democratic committee person said about candidates.
- Red Light Cameras: Pembroke Pines voters by a three-to-one margin choose to end the program. Critics call red light cameras a hidden tax and contend they shorten the yellow light to generate more money. Are commissioners in other areas willing to put the cameras to a vote?
This list is off the top of my head. Got any other winners and losers? Let us know at browardbeat@hotmail.com or in the comment section.
XXXXX
Joe Scott is just over 600 votes ahead of his closest opponent Chad Klitzman. Realistically, it is highly unlikely that lead will evaporate with any new ballots that haven’t been counted yet.
August 19th, 2020 at 4:33 pm
Most victorious black candidates brought more than their race/ethnicity (Gregory Tony very clearly outperformed Scott Israel), but certainly not all. Brenda Forman is spectacularly incompetent and has literally no other plausible basis for winning.
Thanks to Mark Speiser’s late candidacy, the opposition to Brenda Forman became divided, which enabled Brenda Forman to win re-election with less than 45% of the vote.
Good work, Lori Parrish! I hope you’re really proud of yourself for ruining this election and forcing Broward County to endure yet another term of Brenda Forman in office!
August 19th, 2020 at 4:39 pm
Winners (Oh, I hope so!): The residents of Broward County who do not have to be accused any more of systemic racism. Racism exists individually in all races, not systemically.
The residents of Broward who dodged a Socialist bullet aimed at them by George Soros and his minions.
Losers (Oh, I wish not!): Any residents impacted by the Clerk of Courts.
August 19th, 2020 at 4:50 pm
WINNERS:
All Incumbent judges won, with the exception of Judge Gina Hawkins (who is currently suspended without pay for allegedly strangling an employee and is black). Also, incumbent Judge Bailey is in a run off with Odom (who is black) but Bailey also had JQC issues.
Moral of the story, don’t get in trouble.
August 19th, 2020 at 5:39 pm
None of the county-wide winners gathered a majority of the votes, with at least one victor receiving less than a quarter of the ballots cast. I voted for many of the winners, but think that there ought to be a runoff to provide a level of legitimacy to the results.
FROM BUDDY:
I have mixed feelings about runoffs. Runoffs do guarantee those serving in office were approved by a majority of the voters.
Runoffs, in part, were originally more important in Florida because it was a one party state — Democrat. We had several great governors who won only in the runoff. State Sen.Reubin Askew comes to mind, who beat Florida Attorney General Earl Faircloth in the 1970 runoff after losing to him in the primary.
But runoffs had a more sinister side. Runoffs served to make it difficult for blacks to win. Voters whose white candidates lost would gather together to back any white choice in the runoff. “Runoffs often forces black candidates into head-to-head confrontations against white candidates, maximizing the impact of racially polarized voting,” author William Simpson explained in the North Carolina Law Review.
August 19th, 2020 at 6:15 pm
I’ve already heard Mitch Ceasar is running for mayor of Planation. I don’t think he is planning to change his race.
August 19th, 2020 at 6:26 pm
Ian Richards hoodwinked everyone and he won…the next cycle the whites woke up a and said “what the hell did we do” and few to no challengers won that cycle. There will be at least 3 one term office holders from this new black crop of office holders.
August 19th, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Miller got Speiser and Gottlieb to run at last minute with little or no chance of success and then disappeared once the races started. Speiser was saved by Lori Parrish after Miller disappeared, she didn’t get him to run. Miller is to blame for all of this she brought the progressive movement to forward when she lit Bush in as demo chair (does she to still even exist)
August 19th, 2020 at 8:01 pm
Loser: Lori Parrish, she was all in, attending meetings with, campaigning for, continuous social media posts, for Speiser and Lynch. As well as Brinkworth..
August 19th, 2020 at 9:31 pm
Common! The problem isnt with Barbara Miller or Michael Ahearn or Judy Stern with their KNOWLEDGE ADVICE or EXPERIENCE BUT with LACKLUSTER CANDIDATES who NEITHER CAMPAIGNED or RAISED MONEY on the scale of the winners WHO THIS PARTICULAR TIME were Black. I dont know why x, y, n z sat on their backsides like a n b in the last Fort Lauderdale City races BUT THEY DID. Actually the BIG LOSER is a WELL.FUNDED WITH PUBLIC MONEY.BLACK CHURCH THAT TOOK.SCOTT ISRAEL’s money! Is Holness going to help THEIR non.profits.
August 20th, 2020 at 10:41 am
holness????wtf??? this guy can’t string a complete sentence together….
new yorkers escaping the rat hole that is now nyc might want to stop in northern or central florida. fort lauderdale is about to become the portland of the southeast
August 20th, 2020 at 1:04 pm
YESTERDAY”S ABUSED ARE TOMORROW”S ABUSERS
August 20th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Strongly disagree with “6. Remember” post. This is different than Ian Richards, who ran a stealth campaign and won the first time. The black candidates this year all actively campaigned, had their photos on everything, and voters knew exactly who they were voting for. I really liked the quote above from the unnamed consultant re the old Democratic condo voters: “Those people and their world are gone.” So true.
From the start of Broward County until the 1950s, the political world of office holders was dominated by white Protestant men. By the 1960s, Catholics like Herb Burke started winning races. By the late 1970s, the world of white Christian political dominance in Broward was swept away by Jewish candidates (and lots of female candidates, many of whom were also Jewish), who dominated for years with the power of the condo vote. Now, that era has given way to the period when black voters will dominate the Democratic primary. In time, that will evolve into reflecting whatever Broward itself evolves into. Sure there were exceptions to all these “periods” — as there will always continue to be. What happened Tuesday seems like a tectonic shift to some (note: it shouldn’t have), but it really was the math of the gradually shifting demographics.
And I’m cool with that.
August 21st, 2020 at 2:41 pm
Will a new State Attorney charge Gregory Tony with a crime if the evidence is there?
August 23rd, 2020 at 5:09 pm
This past week I got to say one thing.The power of the Black vote.From State Atty,to supervisor of elections,on down.This is where u show your might,w/ your vote.Blacks showed their strength and their demand to be at the table.Bravo.They don’t need BLM-.Blacks don’t need to demonstrate,to vandalize businesses to throwing protectiles at police.Again to get ahead,to terminate discrimination etc.Voting makes the difference and will enhance your endeavors.
August 23rd, 2020 at 6:00 pm
@13 – The evidence isn’t there.
The FDLE form involved is CJSTC-68, which can be viewed here:
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/CJSTC/Documents/Rules-Forms/Table-1-Forms/PDFs/CJSTC-68.aspx
and the statute to which it refers is FS 837.06, which can be viewed here:
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0837/Sections/0837.06.html
The form asks about the sealing or expungement of a “criminal record”, and warns against “intentional omission”. The statute only prohibits “knowingly” making a false official statement.
FDLE Form CJSTC-68’s question regarding the sealing or expungement of a criminal record does not relate to Mr. Tony’s situation at all. Mr. Tony was not convicted of any crime and therefore does not have a “criminal record”. Accordingly, Tony can truthfully answer “No” in response to CJSTC-68’s Question 4.
Moreover, even if one attempts to argue that Tony’s response to Question 4 should have been “Yes”, the wording of Question 4 makes it essentially impossible for any prosecutor to prove that Mr. Tony “knowingly” made a false statement when answering that question.
August 25th, 2020 at 2:12 pm
Best quote: They aren’t making any new old Democrats
Losers? BSO deputy unions, PBAs and FOPs. Their endorsees didn’t fare well, and lots of folks looked at their endorsements as a “contra-indicator”. I know I did.
This year public budgets will be under a microscope and the cost to provide “public safety” won’t get its usual wink & nod. Look for greater accountability and responsibility from the the newcomers to the table. Not a bad thing.
From your lips to God’s ears re: Judy Stern. May she be the first thing to be flushed down Fort Lauderdale’s new sewer system. BTW Can we name that the “Jack Seiler Memorial Sewer System”?
August 25th, 2020 at 9:44 pm
#16 ‘Rob’ IF YOY N THE JYDY STERN HATERS AHAVE SUCH SUPPIRT WHY DPNT YOU SIGN YOYR NAMES TO YOYR ATTACKS?
August 26th, 2020 at 1:08 am
I got to tell u hats off to Brenda Foreman.U got me stating she is an embaressment to the Black community.U got former county comm.Lois Wexler-( who I a have a tremendous amount of respect for(. & Judy) testifying under Oath mind u basically tells the Court that she is a fraud( wait) ,u got Judy Stern filing an Ethics complaint( sustained I think Foreman got a fine when she stated she was only worth like 70 grand when she got Boo Koo money)
And wait the Sun- Sentinel chimes in) u still got it) and the Paper published ( front page) and to top it off they all above mentioned blew a statement that I all stated was she was quoting from Hitler-U get it.Wow.Brenda Foreman- Welcome to the Club- and boy did she earn it.And that lawyer taken pics of her,my advice run and fast.Nothing worse than a Black woman’s scorn( take note Judy Stern)
August 26th, 2020 at 5:51 pm
I take exception on being listed with the above named losers considering the successes of Sen Perry Thurston , Public Defender Gordon Weekes (which I share witb Howard Finkelstein, Steve Michaelson (2 of my former bosses) Ella Phillips, Jasmin Shirley and Gordon’s years of public and community service work) and Judges Frank Ledee, Patti Englander Henning, newly elected Judge Linda Alley, and looking forward to November with Judge Dennis Bailey Also the losers you mentioned above with the help of Larry Davis, Iris Siple, Lori Parrish and Eleanor Sobel are the individuals that the courthouse lawyers and personnel should be thanking for the re-elect of Brenda Forman who is the only incumbent to be elected twice with numbers in only the 40 percent range.
FROM BUDDY:
Remember, Judy, that Browardbeat wrote the older generation of consultants will become less important “in the future” as the county’s demographics continue to change. You’ve won and lost a lot of races over the decades, but what consultants and political leadership did in the past doesn’t matter. The Times They Are A Changin’.
You will always be valuable to candidates because of your experience and skills. You aren’t in the dustbin of history. You and the other self-appointed political mavens won’t be all powerful as in the past, as the primary proved.
Just ask Bert Lichtenstein about the changing times. Oh, you can’t because the former politically-powerful Hawaiian Gardens Civic Affairs Committee Chair died many years ago. And Hawaiian Gardens condo in Lauderdale Lakes is today dominated by black residents, not the white condo residents of the past who also died.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:54 pm
Judy
No one credits you with Weeks, that was holness.
Judges who cares, are we supposed to be impressed that you beat a black judge who choked someone? Are we supposed to be impressed that Henning won Padoqitz, who did nothing and spent no money? Dennis is barely hanging on. Curious how you explain to the blacks that you can take out Odom and Hawkins yet claim to be a friend to the black community.
How about Sarahnell and Backman….sorry babe you had huge losses. How did those complaints work against Forman and Antonocci? Did nothing but put targets on the backs of your candidates.
How about Irv, got your ass handed to you in palm beach.
Sad thing is the blacks have figured you out. The Holness crew will kick you to the curb by the next cycle. They don’t need you and are tired of your claims to be the “black whisperer.”
Granted, you may be the last white consultant standing, but what does that mean? Buddy is right. The game as changed, the blacks are fast seeing they don’t need you and grow tired of you going after their own while claiming to be their friend.
August 28th, 2020 at 1:17 pm
This recent election and it’s results had nothing to do w/ Judy Stern or Barbara Miller or above mentioned in Judy Stern comments.
Again,it was the power of the Black vote.
Yes,Black residents voted and boy did they.These results had nothing to do with these political consults but Black people voted and they voted for other Black people.Plain/ simple.
This is why the Black residents/ community don’t need BLM.In fact in my opinion will actually hurt Black voters and the canidates they support.
August 28th, 2020 at 5:27 pm
Gordon paid you 700 for your “big” contribution to his campaign…your role was well…insigificant
September 2nd, 2020 at 9:41 pm
…IVE RUN in both PUBLIC OFFICE n DEMOCRATIC PARTY races (and won each time) so I have some experience.
THE VOTERS WHO TURN OUT DECIDE ELECTIONS. Yes NON WHITE VOTERS ALL OVER URBAN DISTRICTS ARE ELECTING YOUNGER MINORITY CANDIDATES OVER White.
YES JEWISH LIBERAL INCUMBENTS as URBAN CENTERS LOOSE WHITE INCLUDING JEWISH POPULATIONS. So far Buddy is right UNTIL YOU GET TO THE LONG VIEW and THE DETAILS.
Jewish voters have gone down 16% to less than 8% in Broward Co “officially” but that ignores the huge new apartment generally ALL WHITE whete FEW REGISTER OR VOTE. White Renters in new buildings dont have community ties like home owners in Plantation n Miramar or renters in Lauderhill, mostly or increasingly non White.
The FAILURE OF ESTABLISHED OLDER COMMUNITY CANDIDATES N THEIR CONSULTANTS IS THAT THEY IGNORED N IGNORE NEW RESIDENTS ESPECIALLY RENTERS.
In 8 years PERSONALLY KNOWING EVERY MEMBER OF THE FT LAUDERDALE CITY COMMISSION half of whom have been in my home or given me a ride home THEIR CAMPAIGNS NEVER IN 8 YEARS SENT ME A CAMPAIGN FLYER ALTHOUGH I HAD CAMPAIGN SIGNS FOR 1/4 of THEM BY ASKING!!!!
I was repeatedly elected as a Jewish right center Democrat who supports Israel n Development IN MAJORITY MINORITY DISTRICTS because I campaigned HARD N WENT TO EVERY VOTER GROUP or MEETING. I havent SEEN ANY OF MY ELECTED CONGRESS STATE COUNTY CITY OFFICIALS unless at OFFICIAL MEETINGS. NO WONDER WHY NO.WHITE RESIDENTS VOTE. The Black winners CAMPAIGNED in the Black Community THE WHITE CANDIDATES WHO.LOST LIKE MITCH n SARANELL.etc DIDNT DO DITTLE. IT WASNT RACE it was DO NOTHING WHITE CANDIDATES vs ACTIVE CANFIDATES who happen to be Black.
September 5th, 2020 at 2:17 pm
The trend in Broward politics with black and brown folks that buddy is talking about is real. The good news is that now the race hucksters may have to find a different fake excuse for the black violent crime reality, other than those darn racist white supremacist police officers!…
September 7th, 2020 at 4:33 am
Mr. McMahon,
This post is not designed to trigger a debate about national politics. Such comments are off topic and will be deleted.
Buddy
September 7th, 2020 at 4:45 pm
Okay Buddy your game your rules.I said my piece. I am a former Detective\Forensic Artist and forty year veteran of the Broward Sheriffs Office. I personally helped solve local murders of black victims by black suspects since 1979. I think If the African American community has power, its time to acknowledge the truth and stop the madness.