Julie Carson has a sizable lead in the race for Wilton Manors mayor among self-identified city residents who responded to an OutSFL reader survey. The contest for two open commission seats is much closer.
Of the 175 respondents who answered the mayoral question, 57% supported Carson. City Commissioner Paul Rolli received 26%, Jerry Fisichelli received 1%, and 15% were undecided.
OutSFL’s surveys of the 2024 mayoral race offer some perspective. Both placed incumbent Scott Newton ahead of his challengers, including an October survey that showed him at 51%, Mike Sansevero at 24% and Mark Beigay at 5%, with 20% undecided. Newton went on to win 71% of the vote. The surveys reflected the order in which the candidates finished, but the final result gave Newton a considerably larger share than the reader survey had shown.
Newton is running for a commission seat this year rather than another term as mayor. In the first-choice commission question, Angel Burgos received 35% support, incumbent Commissioner Don D’Arminio received 33%, Newton received 15% and Manish Kalra received 8%. Another 8% were undecided.
Because voters can elect two commissioners, the survey also asked whom respondents would choose for a second vote. Newton led that question with 30%, followed by D’Arminio at 25%, Burgos at 18% and Kalra at 11%. Fifteen percent were undecided.
That second question drew 126 responses, compared with 175 for the first-choice question. The percentages describe answers to each question separately and should not be added together to project which two candidates will win.
The mayor serves a two-year term, while the two winning commission candidates will serve four-year terms. Election Day is Nov. 3.
About the survey: OutSFL collected responses through SurveyMonkey from Sept. 18 to Sept. 26. Respondents included in these results identified themselves as Wilton Manors residents; OutSFL did not independently verify residency or voter registration. Participation was voluntary. This is not a scientific poll or a representative sample of city voters, and the results describe only the readers who chose to respond.
