My husband and I have been Cape Coral residents since 2011, and we witnessed many positive changes in the city when Marni was elected. Prior to Marni, the mayor resembled the character Mr. Potter from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. He, and his contingents, enjoyed the power and privilege of the office. Nothing happened in Cape Coral unless citizens came crawling to him. He represented well-off retirees, who had no interest in the city becoming anything beyond a nice quiet place to live out your remaining days. Hence the nickname, Cape Coma.
When elected, Marni brought something new to Cape Coral—a vision for what could be. For years, the city government was content with the status quo. Marni worked to make the city more efficient and cost-effective, improving critical infrastructure through federal funding, rather than raising taxes. She negotiated with utility companies to improve their services without increasing rates. Under Marni’s leadership, we watched Cape Coral evolve from a place to live into a desirable destination.
C. Hughes, MSW, & former crime victim advocate
I have known Marni for years. I first met Marni when she ran for Mayor of our city. She was the first female mayor elected to our town in Florida. She is dynamic, intelligent, hard-working, and highly organized. She worked with our Chamber and business owners to help breathe new life into our city after the devastating banking crisis. She met with small and larger-scale business owners, inviting them to invest in our community, especially in our main business district at a time when there were many empty lots. She is an outstanding leader, a dedicated mother, and a role model.
Dane Steed
It is vital that we vote for our values, so I would encourage a vote for Marni Sawicki for Governor of Michigan. As the first woman mayor of Cape Coral, Florida, Marni was an effective leader and an advocate for social justice, which includes being a champion of same-sex marriage equality. She had the foresight to apply for a FEMA Emergency Management course, which the city won. This training proved to be invaluable just a few months later when our area was hit by the strongest tornado in over half a century.
Soon thereafter, Hurricane Irma hit our area and became the costliest storm to date in Florida. Marni, as mayor, was the face of the city during this time. She showed great leadership by keeping the area informed and being out in the field and hands-on. She was very skilled at working across party lines with our then-Governor Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio to get the city the resources it needed.
Marni was a driving force for development, which included the Bimini Basin Project, a downtown mixed-use district that had only been talked about for two decades. She encountered several battles along the way but persevered, and the city owes her a debt of gratitude. Marni, working with the city manager, brought accountability to the area. She had a knack for knowing when something just wasn't right or adding up. When bringing things into the light caused defensive blowback, she persisted.
Even after moving back to her beloved Michigan several years later, she is still being proven right with that intuition. She is the author of one book so far. I'd suggest if she were to write another, she simply title it "I Told You So."
As a governor, I know that she would be transparent and accountable and work for all the people of Michigan.
Winston Negron
When Marni began her 2017 campaign for mayor as a democrat in the Republican-dominated City of Cape Coral, Florida, I had no expectations about the possibility of her getting elected. However, after her honesty, self-confidence, forward-looking ideas and capacity to assuage the fears of her mostly-Republican constituents were dispelled, her talents and dedication were recognized and she was elected. Notably, her “fiscally-conservative” yet, “egalitarian views” expressed early in her campaign gained the respect of the constituents. Additionally, a personal poll showed that, had Marni decided to run for reelection, she would have won!
Robert Dudley
I am writing to offer my strong endorsement for Marni Sawicki to be the next Governor of Michigan.
I supported Marni when she was running for Mayor of Cape Coral in 2013. The city was in turmoil over a much-needed Utility Expansion Project. Her opponent was adamantly against the project. His positions were unsupportable but he had a zealous following.
I had served with him on a city-formed UEP Expansion team that ultimately decided to go forward. I met with Marni to review the data and show her where her opponent was twisting the facts. I found her to be bright and fully engaged. She was a quick study and quickly grasped the situation and was able to articulate this throughout the campaign.
On another note, I was a member of a group of volunteers who formed an organization to clean and mow abandoned properties in the city following the Real Estate Crash of 2009. After Marni was elected, she continued to join us in our efforts, even with her busy schedule. We were a diverse group consisting of high school students through octogenarians and Marni was well received by all.
Eric Free
I’m a former snowbird turned full-time resident of Cape Coral. When I moved here in 2010, John Sullivan was mayor and had established a Republican-fueled group of cronies. One of the things that caught my attention during his administration was the city missing thousands of gallons of gasoline, and it was determined that politicians and city administration members had gas authorization cards for their personal vehicles, as well as the cars for many of their spouses - compliments of the taxpayers supporting the CC budget. Answers to this and other accusations were vague and were often dismissed.
I was especially happy when a smiling, charismatic, energetic Marni Sawicki defeated Sullivan and then withstood an expensive lawsuit attempting a recount and re-election. She was the first female mayor of Cape Coral and was a breath of fresh air on the political scene after enduring Sullivan and his “good old boys’ club.”
I first met Marni at one of her meet-and-greets as she showed how effective and transparent her administration was. Like myself, she is also an author. When I realized she had written an autobiographical book, I immediately got a copy and read it. One thing that surprised me and saddened me is all the behind-the-scenes misfortune that followed her during her tenure as mayor of Cape Coral. Despite the hateful attacks by both words and physical altercations, Marni handled both the duties of mayor and uninvited adversity like the tenacious person she was. I’m proud to see her seeking the governorship of Michigan, and I wish her all the best in the world.
Heather Stone
I wanted to share my experiences with Marni, who was my mayor when I lived in Cape Coral, Florida. Now that I am a resident of Macomb County, I feel it's important to highlight her exceptional qualities. During her tenure, Marni demonstrated exceptional leadership and compassion, ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our community were not overlooked and fought for services for aftercare and summer camps for special needs children so they had socialization and parents could have reliable care options.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Marni played a critical role in evacuation and recovery efforts. She worked tirelessly to coordinate resources, assist displaced families, and restore stability of the community. Her dedication ensured essential services were quickly restored and support needed during this difficult time. Her compassion, forward-thinking approach, and her ability to collaborate with local agencies made a significant and lasting impact.
Additionally, she demonstrated astonishing leadership during hurricane evacuations and planning, ensuring the safety and well-being of the community. Marni's compassion, resilience, and dedication to inclusive and effective governance is precisely what we need in a leader. Her proven track record makes it clear: she would make an exceptional governor, bringing both empathy and efficacy to the role.
