Journalist Nick Sortal – a contributor to CDC Gaming Reports – was elected to the City Council in Plantation, Florida, Tuesday night.
Sortal is considered one of the most knowledgeable journalists on Florida gaming matters, tribal gaming, and regional casinos. He took a sabbatical from writing his once-a-week commentary for CDC Gaming Reports in July to campaign full-time for the Plantation City Council Group 5 seat left vacant by the death of previous councilman.
Sortal won the two-person race for by 279 votes – 14,580 to the 14,301 votes collected by Timothy Fadgen. He will be sworn in on Nov. 16 and will serve the remaining two years of the term.
“I’m ready to hit the ground running,” Sortal said. “We have a lot on our plate. I don’t think we could have worked any harder. We walked the district. So many said to me, ‘you came to my house, so I’m voting for you.’”
Sortal spent 35 years as a newspaper writer and editor, with 30 years dedicated to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He was endorsed by newspaper’s editorial board, which called him a “superior choice as he would be a proactive public servant who could most effectively troubleshoot problems facing the city.”
Sortal told the newspaper, “We will have constant decisions about whether to invest in new projects, stitching together what we already have, or saving money for our reserves. I favor keeping the house fully maintained; spending a little bit now will likely save us a lot later.”
