Update: Waldman To Return To City Commission?

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

Who says you can’t go home again?

Out of office just a few weeks because of term limits, former Democratic state Rep. Jim Waldman is considering the idea of running for the Coconut Creek City Commission in March, according to numerous sources.

 

Jim Waldman fundraiser

Jim Waldman: At a fundraiser last year for his 2016 state Senate race. 

 

 

It would be a rerun of Waldman’s earlier political career. He got his start on the Coconut Creek City Commission in 1993 – more than two decades ago.

Waldman surrogates have been making calls in Coconut Creek and testing the waters, sources told Browardbeat.com.

“Two weeks ago, I started getting calls from constituents…Everybody seemed to be calling me and and urging me to run,” Waldman said. “I haven’t made a decision yet.”

The big question is whether a Waldman city candidacy in March 2015 would be treated seriously by Coconut Creek voters since he already raised more than $109,000 for a state Senate campaign in 2016.  Due to the Senate race and Florida’s Resign-to-Run law, Waldman would not be able to complete the two-year term in Coconut Creek if he won.

Two candidates are already in the March race for the commission district along the northern boundary of the city – Steve Harrison and Josh Rydell.

Harrison, who has served on the city’s planning and zoning board, has run unsuccessfully in the past for the seat. Rydell is a newcomer to elective politics.

A lawyer who is on the city’s parks board, Rydell began getting calls in the past week about Waldman.

“I’ve been blessed to get support from a number of elected officials,” Rydell said. “A few called me and said, ‘Jim is going to get back in.’”

Rydell would not comment on reports to Browardbeat.com that he had been offered Waldman’s support for a future commission race if he dropped his current campaign.

Several Democratic insiders expressed skepticism about Waldman’s commission candidacy in light of his already announced state Senate race. Waldman’s only opponent so far for the Democratic Senate seat is Gary Farmer, a highly successful trial attorney who has told supporters he would formally launch his campaign in the near future.

“What’s to stop Gary Farmer from throwing $50,000 into the race to soften Jim up in his (Coconut Creek) base? Jim has nothing to gain and everything to lose,” one insider said.

Another insider said, “He could lose and that would be the end of Jim Waldman.”

Noting his long history of success in Coconut Creek politics, Waldman said he saw very little downside to any race for the commission. “People told me they were looking for an experienced leader,” he said. “They weren’t yet convinced by the others who were running.”

Senate District 29 stretches from Coconut Creek and Deerfield Beach through Parkland, Coral Springs, Margate, Tamarac, and Sunrise to Weston and Southwest Ranches.

 

 



5 Responses to “Update: Waldman To Return To City Commission?”

  1. The Guess Who says:

    Absolutely fuck this guy. What a joke. Jim needs to stay focused on his Senate campaign, which he has a pretty good shot at winning.

    Only Dave Brown could come up with something this stupid.

  2. Interesting says:

    Sounds exactly like what Skip Campbell did in Coral Springs. How interesting that Senate race will be in 2016!

  3. Donnie W says:

    Hello, Sen. Farmer!!!

  4. Watching the wheels says:

    Mere speculation but…

    Word is David brown went to both candidates to be hired to run their campaigns and both declined….

    So if one were to speculate, I would bet that this is no more than rumor and I am sure if David were to call these two guys back now, he would tell them that if he were to be hired he could persuade Waldman out of the race. Even better, Dave gets hired, they dangle Jim around until the last minute, the one that doesn’t hire Dave drops out scared of Waldman and the guy who hired brown wins unopposed after Waldman does nothing. End result, David looks like a king maker.

    As one astute commentator noted, Waldman is the front runner for the Senate seat, if he does not crush these guys he looks vulnerable. This smells more like Waldman playing a game with David to get him a cheap win. After Gundersen and Feren he desperatly needs a W.

    Poor Dave, you game is tired, old and can be seen easily….by some.

    FROM BUDDY:

    This is rank speculation. I’m told on good authority that Brown didn’t solicit any candidate for this race.

  5. Kristin Jacobs all the way says:

    Forget about Dave Brown needing a win, it’s also Waldman who needs a win! He backed Steve Perman in a big way for his own state house seat and Perman couldn’t get 30% of the vote! And it’s Kristin Jacobs who Waldman needs to be worried about… get him, Farmer, Skip Campbell all in a race and Jacobs will run circles around everyone.