Grossman to make third run at Town Commission seat

Former Longboat Key Town Commission candidate Larry Grossman has filed to run again for the District 4 seat in the 2017 election cycle.

Grossman, 68, filed Thursday to take on incumbent District 4 Commissioner Jack Daly, 80, who has already announced he will run for a second term.

It will be their second head-to-head race after Grossman lost a 2015 election to Daly by 1,295 to 505 votes. He also ran unsuccessfully in 2013.

“I don’t want people to go into the commission without a contested election,” Grossman said.

Grossman noted his candidacy has not yet been certified by the Sarasota Supervisor of Elections office and it might not be by the noon deadline Monday.

“So, I’m not official yet,” he said.

Longboat Key Town Clerk Trish Granger confirmed Grossman's candidacy has not yet been certified.

If Grossman is certified, that makes two former mayors, one former commissioner and a former commission candidate to declare candidacies.

“We need new faces and fresh blood,’ Grossman said. “It’s a new race. It’s up to the voters. If I didn’t run, there would be no race to report.”

The Longboat Key Town Commission consists of seven members elected for 2-year terms. Town commissioner terms expire in March for Mayor Jack Duncan, Daly and Phill Younger.  

Former Commissioner Gene Jaleski, 75, who last served on the commission in 2010, will oppose former Mayor Jim Brown, 70, in the race to succeed term-limited Younger. Brown announced his campaign in September.

Former Mayor George Spoll, 82, announced his campaign, so far unopposed, for the District 2 seat now held by term-limited Duncan.