Coral Gables: Jeannett Slesnick files to run for commission seat

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Call it the year of the Missus.

Following Hillary Clinton‘s ambitions for presidency and, at the local level, Teresa Sarnoff‘s desire to replace her hubby on the Miami city commission, Coral Gables realtor and former first lady Jeannett Slesnick has filed to run for the commission seat vacated by Vice Mayor Billy Kerdyk.

Slesnick filed for the open seat rather than take on Commissioner Frank Quesada, which is what a few people feared — including Quesada, Ladra hears. Why? Because while Mrs. Slesnick is yet another wife of another politician running for office, she is arguably more popular and better known than her husband, former Mayor Don Slesnick. She’s a seasoned pro who has run all his campaigns.

Unlike Sarnoff, who has reportedly been practically uninvolved in city life, Jeannett Slesnick has been actively part of the Gables fabric and civic life for more than a decade.

And so, despite the fact that Commissioners Vince Lago and Frank Quesada have been supporting and raising money for candidate Tony Newell, Ms. Slesnick immediately becomes the frontrunner in the race. She has a wide base to draw from — both hers and her husband’s (read: hers). She could win even if the overwhelming majority of voters choose one of the other four candidates.

That pool now includes Sandra Murado, who las malas lenguas say was recruited and put in the race by Mayor Jim Cason, who loses his Kerdyk pocket vote and may be looking to replace it with someone as reliable. Cason and Murado do share their campaign consultant, Jorge de Cardenas.

Anyway, since it’s a five way race so far. Ariel Fernandez, who has been campaigning for a year and a half, must be crying in his hot chocolate tonight. This is the biggest blow to his campaign yet. Because with a five man race and 7,100 or so voters, like in 2013, someone (read: Slesnick) could win with as few as 1,500 votes.

Slesnick told Ladra this week that she was considering a run because she did not like the direction the city was taking. She believes that a lot of development has been railroaded through the commission.

“People don’t realize their city is going to look very different in a couple of years,” she said.

Slesnick’s sudden entrance into the race could also change the mayoral race. Former Mayor Don Slesnick was first elected with former Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, who is running for mayor and has all of Ladra’s open support. That’t not why I’m saying Slesnick’s entrance helps him. It just does. Voters who may have been disinterested before, but who will vote now because Jeannett Slesnick is running, will likely vote for Ralph Cabrera, too.

In fact, Mrs. Slesnick’s entry into this political minefield just may elevate the whole election as far as media attention is concerned. Many of the 30,000 voters in Coral Gables don’t even know there’s an eletction on April 14th.

But Ladra has a feeling that is about to change.

  Coral Gables, Don Slesnick, Jeannette Slesnick