Incumbent Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis won re-election yesterday against his opponent, attorney Ken Cooper, after garnering more than 48,000 votes to Cooper’s nearly 36,000.
The race primarily focused on clean water and infrastructure — particularly a series of sewer main breaks which caused more than 200 million gallons of sewage to spill citywide at the end off 2019.
Cooper blamed Trantalis’s mismanagement for the incident while the incumbent mayor blamed the previous administration’s misuse of funds for delaying projects meant to improve the sewage system.
Trantalis, 67, posted a message to supporters via Facebook on Wednesday morning following his victory.
“I would like to thank the voters of Fort Lauderdale for their confidence in me and returning me for a second term as your mayor in yesterday’s election,” the mayor said. “More voters cast ballots than ever before in a mayoral election proving democracy works. We will continue to make great strides in improving our quality of life and keeping Fort Lauderdale the great city it is. I am excited about continuing our work together for another four years.”
Trantalis was thrust into news headlines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April when a cruise ship was approaching his city’s port with four dead and nearly 200 infected people. The Holland America ship Zaandam had been denied permission to disembark passengers by several countries.
The mayor appeared in a live interview on CNN’s New Day during which he discussed what protocols should be taken for the ship’s proper disembarkation.
The son of Greek immigrants, Trantalis made history in 2018 when he was elected the first openly gay mayor of Ft. Lauderdale.
Local video report by NBC 6 South Florida
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