Our One Sunrise Campaign received the prestigious endorsement of the Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board. Here is what they said:
"Sunrise is thriving.
The west Broward city is a major retail hub, a growing jobs center, and popular with an increasingly diverse population. On top of that, it’s the home of hockey’s champions, the Florida Panthers.
Even city commission candidates are in unison that Sunrise is on the right track, as they cite familiar worries about traffic, crime and lack of attainable housing. Tension over the intensity of high-rise development and its strain on infrastructure, so common in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, is not evident here.
An effective leader, an upbeat ambassador for his city and a well-informed voice on regional issues, Ryan has been mayor for 14 years. The Sun Sentinel recommends that voters keep him in office.
To Ryan, the city’s greatest challenge is the triple whammy of skyrocketing auto and property insurance premiums and the new condo reserves law, which he said threatens the economy and endangers the ability of city residents to save their homes. In his opinion, the state law requiring costly inspections for older condo buildings that are three stories or taller is overly broad.
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An act of deception [By One Of My Opponents]
Douglas [one of his opponents] is the intended beneficiary of a political deception directed at Sunrise voters.
Several voters complained to the Sun Sentinel of getting voter guides that closely mimic the guide sent by the Broward Democratic Party, with one difference. The oval next to Douglas’ name is darkened, falsely making it appear that he’s the party’s favorite.
The party has publicly denounced the tactic, but Douglas has not.
After the Sun Sentinel invited mayoral candidates to an interview, Douglas questioned the paper’s decision given that we have published several viewpoint essays submitted by Ryan, calling it “highly unusual” for us to publish Ryan’s writings in a year in which he is in a contested election.
Known as op-eds, the essays are written and contributed by people from all walks of life and edited by the editorial board. Ryan has written them for years on regional topics such as recycling or resiliency. Ryan has never used the platform to promote himself or Sunrise.
Long before Ryan won the mayor’s job in a 2010 special election, he was highly active in his community, as a PTA dad, youth sports coach and founder of the Sunrise Center for Excellence in Chess, among many endeavors.
The chess initiative has achieved national recognition for focusing on improving students’ analytical skills and strategic thinking.
His reference to “One Sunrise” is a message of unity. He is also committed to civility in the public square and sets a positive example, defending his own record without being petty or vindictive toward opponents.
“At the end of the day,” Ryan says of his city, “we’re just a bunch of neighbors.”
For mayor of Sunrise, the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recommends Mike Ryan."