Dolphin Dems: No Endorsement in Wilton Manors Mayor Race

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Dolphin Dems: No Endorsement in Wilton Manors Mayor Race | WATCH

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John Hayden

Category: Wilton Manors

Published: 05 October 2026

For the first time in recent memory, the races to be mayor of Wilton Manors and fill two city commission seats are all competitive. Four people are candidates for the commission seats and two are actively running for mayor. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, in a packed room at The Pride Center, all six stated their cases to the Dolphin Democrats.

The results are somewhat surprising.

Neither Paul Rolli, a sitting commissioner, nor Julie Carson, a former commissioner, got the necessary two-thirds majority needed to claim an endorsement. That isn't necessarily a surprise as both have strong name recognition and presence in the community and with the Dolphins.

However, many were surprised by the breakdown of the vote: Carson with 65.1 percent and Rolli with 34.9 percent. Carson was just 1.6 percent away from endorsement and nearly doubled Rolli’s total vote.

During his presentation, Rolli touted his experience in government and the challenges of a new anti-DEI law and the looming threat of severe property tax reductions. Carson said her priorities would be fiscal responsibility, inclusion, “responsible” growth, and good governance.

Commission Races

Four people seek two commission seats. Manish Kalra and Angel Burgos are new to the city’s politics but are both longtime residents. Incumbent Don D’Arminio is running for a second term while Scott Newton is leaving his seat as mayor and looking to join the commission.

There were two rounds of voting. The first round eliminated the two lowest vote-getters, Newton and Kalra. Burgos and D’Arminio went to a second ballot for an individual yes-or-no vote with both getting more than two-thirds.

Getting the nod from the Dolphins is especially important for candidates running in Wilton Manors. The city has a disproportionately highpopulation of LGBTQ voters as opposed to any other municipality in the area. Getting (or coming close to getting) an endorsement from the LGBTQ Democrat club is often a strong indicator of where the electorate is trending.

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