Teresa Sarnoff
Teresa Sarnoff was a 2015 nonpartisan candidate for District 2 of the Miami City Council in Florida. Sarnoff advanced to the November 17 runoff election, but withdrew from the race on November 10. The city said the runoff election could not be cancelled but votes for Sarnoff were not counted.
Biography
Sarnoff is the founder and president of End Homelessness Now Inc., a nonprofit dealing with homelessness in Miami.[1] She is the wife of former District 2 commissioner Marc Sarnoff.[2]
Campaign themes
2015
Sarnoff's campaign website highlighted the following themes for the 2015 election:
Violent Crimes
| “ |
We live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Unfortunately though, it is also one of the most dangerous in the Country. Miami has some of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. Putting an end to violence is a community effort that needs to start with a commitment from the top. From robberies to gun violence, Miamians are subjected to all types of brutality. Sadly, many of these crimes are concentrated in only a few areas, specifically the inner cities. As an active member of the Rickia Isaac Foundation, a youth outreach program committed to reducing gun violence in South Florida, I have read countless heart wrenching essays from middle school children who are terrified of dying from stray bullets. A comprehensive plan needs to be developed to stop the violence on our streets. It is not enough to just get tough on crime to reduce the violence, we need to start at the source. Educational programs are effective strategies for effectuating culture change and after school activities provide children with a positive outlet that gangs and violence cannot. These projects will be effective, and are necessary, however they are merely supplemental. For real change to occur, we need to involve the entire community. We need greater cooperation and communication with local law enforcement. I will initiate and facilitate these discussions between community leaders and local law enforcement. We need to get back to the time where we had personal relationships with our local law enforcement. For far too long has our city and the Nation as a whole taken an “us verse them” attitude with our police force. This is our city and it is a collective effort to keep our streets safe; we must all work together to protect Miami. [3] |
” |
| —Teresa Sarnoff, (2015), [4] | ||
Transportation
| “ |
Here in South Florida, we all know what it is like to spend a large amount of our day stuck in traffic. In fact, Miami is home to some of the worst traffic in the Western Hemisphere, and it is only getting worse. 50 percent of Miami’s population currently spends over 30 minutes commuting to and from work each day. Our population is getting larger; our commutes are getting longer; and the constant road construction is infuriating. Sitting in the car for hours at a time should not be our only option. Miami needs more effective modes of travel that will reduce the congestion of cars on our streets. There is an abundance of options among us: green alternatives like bicycle lanes and electric trolley cars; traditional yet modern alternatives like light rails and high speed rails; and innovative concepts like water taxis and gondolas. Roads are public. It is the responsibility of our Government to provide us with cost effective, efficient and eco friendly alternatives for transportation. I am tired of fighting traffic, instead I will fight for our right for a better way to travel. [3] |
” |
| —Teresa Sarnoff, (2015), [5] | ||
Economy
| “ |
The people of South Florida suffered a devastating blow during the last Great Recession. Throughout this time we all felt helpless, overwhelmed, and blindsided. Although the National recession is long over, we as Miamians are still reeling from its effects. We are still struggling with immense poverty, homelessness, and one of the lowest median incomes in the country. My work with the Camillus House opened my eyes to the hunger and poverty that surrounds us here in South Florida. I have listened to the haunting stories and have seen the struggles first hand of how the economic collapse continues to devastate our community. We need to focus on building a strong and stable economy to improve the lives of all South Floridians. Our government can be a useful and powerful tool for job creation and economic stabilization. We must focus and support our core strengths of tourism, real estate, and retail. In addition, we must encourage and foster new and innovate industries. This will serve to diversify Miami’s commercial profile while injecting key investments not only into new economic ventures, but more importantly, the South Florida economy. Our government can provide the foundation necessary for our city to flourish and I look forward to playing a crucial role in laying the groundwork. [3] |
” |
| —Teresa Sarnoff, (2015), [6] | ||
Elections
2015
- See also: Miami, Florida municipal elections, 2015
The city of Miami, Florida, held elections for the city council on November 3, 2015. A runoff took place on November 17, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was September 19, 2015. In the race for District 2, Ken Russell and Teresa Sarnoff advanced past Graciela Solares, Mike R. Simpson, Rosa Palomino, Seth Sklarey, Lorry Woods, Williams Armbrister Sr., Javier Gonzalez in the general election. Russell and Sarnoff advanced to the runoff election. Sarnoff conceded the race to Russell on November 5, but did not officially withdraw from the race. "I did not engage in negative campaigning and do not condone negative campaigning," she said.[7] On November 10, she officially withdrew. Hours later, the city attorney stated that the runoff could not be cancelled but votes for Sarnoff would not be counted.[8][9][10]
| Miami City Council District 2, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ken Russell |
41.3% | 2,727 |
| Teresa Sarnoff |
23.5% | 1,553 |
| Graciela Solares | 22.2% | 1,467 |
| Javier Gonzalez | 4.2% | 278 |
| Lorry Woods | 3.4% | 224 |
| Rosa Palomino | 3.1% | 202 |
| Williams Armbrister Sr. | 1.1% | 73 |
| Mike R. Simpson | 0.6% | 39 |
| Seth Sklarey | 0.5% | 35 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 6,598 | |
| Source: "Miami, Florida", "Miami Dade County Official Election Results," accessed November 16, 2015 | ||
Endorsements
2015
Sarnoff received the endorsement of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police.[11]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Teresa Sarnoff' Miami. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- City of Miami - 2015 Official candidate list
- Official campaign website
- Teresa Sarnoff on Facebook
- Teresa Sarnoff on LinkedIn
Footnotes
- ↑ Teresa Sarnoff, "About," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Nine qualify to run for Miami commissioner Sarnoff’s seat," September 19, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Teresa Sarnoff, "Violent Crimes," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ Teresa Sarnoff, "Transportation," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ Teresa Sarnoff, "Economy," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ NBC Miami, "Teresa Sarnoff Concedes Miami Commission Election," November 5, 2015
- ↑ Miami Herald, "City attorney: Votes for Sarnoff won’t count in Miami election," November 10, 2015
- ↑ City of Miami, "2015 Official candidate list," accessed September 21, 2015
- ↑ City of Miami, "Fall Municipal Runoff Unofficial Results," November 17, 2015
- ↑ Teresa Sarnoff, "Miami Police Union Endorsement," accessed September 22, 2015
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