FORT LAUDERDALE — In a letter last week, District 2 Fort Lauderdale City Commission candidate Dean Trantalis received the endorsement of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors organization.

“We believe [Dean is] the best candidate to protect the interests of hard working real estate professionals, promote home ownership, preserve private property rights, and advance the housing market and overall economy,” wrote Adam I. Sanders, the Director of Government Affairs for the organization, one of the state’s largest Realtor associations, representing more than 7,000 real estate professionals in Broward County.

Trantalis, a former Fort Lauderdale commissioner, is in a March 12 runoff election for the city’s District 2 Commission seat, a race that pits him against another former city commissioner, Charlotte Rodstrom, who had given up the seat to run unsuccessfully for Broward County Commission.

Because neither candidate received the required 50 percent of the vote-plus-one, a runoff between Trantalis and Rodstrom was automatically mandated.

Rodstrom succeeded Trantalis as District 2 commissioner, and won two additional terms, the last one in January 2012.  Weeks later, she announced that she would run for the Broward County Commission seat being vacated by her term-limited husband, former Broward County Mayor John Rodstrom, a move that drew sharp criticism and accusations of careerism.

Last month, Trantalis accused Rodstrom of lifting verbiage verbatim from his campaign literature and using the same language on her own election materials and signage.

A review of a mailer sent by the Trantalis campaign reads, “As a long-time legal activist and our former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner, Dean Trantalis has been a tireless advocate for preserving the integrity of our neighborhoods, and has shown balance and vision in pursuing the growth of our city.”

At charlotterodstrom.com, the likewise-former-commissioner’s campaign materials note that, “Charlotte Rodstrom is a long-time legal activist and our Former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner. He [sic] has been a tireless advocate for preserving the integrity of our neighborhoods, and she has shown balance and vision in pursuing the growth of our city.”

Trantalis’ literature adds, “Dean is the leader we need and is dedicated to working alongside neighbors and city officials as we carve out a new direction for our community.”

In nearly identical terms (changing only the name), the Rodstrom language states, “Charlotte is the leader we need and is dedicated to working alongside neighbors and city officials as we carve out a new direction for our community.”