In a shocking turn of events, even for 305 standards, the one-time presumed
front-runner in a city of Miami race has conceded two weeks before the runoff — robbing us of a tenacious showdown in which she would have lost.
Let’s face it. This sorta proves that Teresa Sarnoff never really wanted to serve the people but rather as a proxy for her husband, the termed out Commissioner Marc Sarnoff.
Tuesday’s race for the District 2 seat was really a referendum on the sitting commissioner, who has ambitions beyond the city and far more to lose than just face if she were to be slam dunked in a runoff by the yo-yo guy. An overwhelming majority of voters — almost twice as many — had already picked Ken Russell. And those who voted for activist Grace Solares were really voting against Sarnoff and would elect Russell Nov. 17 anyway.
The Sarnoffs know this. They know The Missus would lose, despite pollster Dario Moreno‘s faulty numbers. And they decided it was better to fold and save face, less we diminish Marc’s electability in the future.
Read related story: Two stars may rise from city of Miami election upset
Oh, that’s not what they said.
“After much deliberation, I have made the decision to finish my campaign with a very positive message,” wrote “Teresa Sarnoff” in a letter to the editor published online Thursday afternoon in which she takes a gratuitous grudge slap against Solares.
“I did not engage in negative campaigning and do not condone negative campaigning. You do not create your reputation by tearing someone else’s down. The traditional strategy to finish this campaign requires a negative campaign with a negative message. This is something I just will not do.
Although my campaign remains financially viable and well funded, I have made the choice to do something different that, I hope, will establish a precedent moving forward. I have made the choice to finish this election with a socially conscious campaign.
With the existing campaign account, I will support the three causes that are near and dear to my heart: animal rescue, the homeless and a free trolley for the Grove.
District 2 does not need to be torn apart. It is counterproductive for business leaders who are investing in this community to invest in a campaign to seek vindication. Elected officials should not involve themselves by jumping into the campaign at the 11th hour, when they were not there from the beginning.
I will support Ken Russell in his governance and strongly urge him to make a legislative change to a plurality vote for elections or to allow the electorate to make a second choice on their ballots (as Oregon does) so as to avoid the need for a runoff and the insanity and cost of a two-week sprint that tears apart the community, leaving the elected wounded.
I remain in this election as it remains unclear what the law is if the runner-up concedes. I do not want to put the taxpayers at risk of a lawsuit by the second runner-up, who has already cost the taxpayers more than $12 million, money that will never be made up and money that could have improved our police department or parks or help fund transportation solutions.
As I have always said from the beginning: I love Miami, and this is what is best for Miami.”
Please. Don’t make me laugh. Is anybody buying this? This is what is best for the Sarnoffs.
First, no, they do not “remain financially viable.” They likely would have had trouble raising money after Teresa Sarnoff, with 23% of the vote, lost to Russell, who got 41% of the vote. Donors, like the rest of us, know she would lose the runoff and, while the special interests may still want access, they certainly don’t want to throw their money away and alienate the next commissioner.
Secondly, who is she talking about when she says “elected officials?” Does she mean Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who issued an endorsement of Russell on Wednesday. He hadn’t gotten involved before because of his history with Solares,
he said.
“I followed Mr. Russell during the campaign and was impressed by many traits. The most notable one was when he called me two and a half weeks ago and asked for an appointment, which I assumed was to seek either an endorsement or financial support, or both,” Suarez wrote in a statement, adding that Russell asked for neither.
“He explained that he wanted to ‘pick my brain’ about “CRA’s… We spent a good hour talking policy and politics, and it was clear to me that Mr. Russell considers the two to be inextricably intertwined,” wrote Suarez, a former Miami mayor whose commission district overlaps with much of District 2 and whose seat is being eyed by Marc Sarnoff.
“I was impressed by his work ethic, his infectious enthusiasm for public service and his earnest desire to serve.”
Lastly, but not leastly, why does it have to be a knuckle-dragging slugfest? There’s no other alternative to a negative campaign that will divide the community? She is only worried about the negative campaign that would come at her, ladies and gents. Because what possible dirt could she have on the cute, aw shucks yo-yo guy, the typical Groveite who peddles paddle boats and has no political baggage? Oh, riiiiight. The dirt she and her operatives would just make up.
Because she doesn’t have a platform or message of her own.
Because she was just a proxy.
Good thing the voters of District 2 recognized that on Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Sarnoff give up seat to Ken Russell sans runoff added by Ladra on
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