With Miami’s mayoral qualifying deadline now closed – in an election city officials hoped to postpone — a baker’s dozen of new names and old completes the field.
After months of uncertainty, Miami’s mayoral race is officially underway, with 13 candidates — five who filed just hours before Saturday’s qualifying deadline — now set to compete for the city’s top office.
The late entries included some of Miami’s most recognizable (and controversial) political figures: District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo, former District 1 Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, and former two-term Mayor Xavier Suárez, whose son, Francis Suárez, is the current mayor but is barred by term limits from seeking reelection.
Other notable names include former District 2 Commissioner and Grove resident Ken Russell, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, and former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez.
Rounding out the slate are Laura Anderson, Elijah John Bowdre, Christian E. Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Kenneth James DeSantis, Michael A. Hepburn, and June Savage.
The general election is November 4, with early voting beginning October 25. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff election on December 9.
The race for mayor — and Commission Districts 3 and 5 — had been cast in doubt since a June effort sponsored by District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo, who represents Coconut Grove, to delay the elections by a year to capitalize on higher voter turnout during even-year election cycles.
City commissioners approved the measure – which also would have extended the terms of all current elected officials by one year – but it was ruled, by two courts, to be a violation of Florida’s constitution.
Under Miami’s form of government, the city mayor has limited administrative and policymaking authority, serving mostly as the city’s public face and chief spokesperson. The mayor can appoint and remove the city manager, and can veto legislation of the five-person city commission. (Vetoes can be overridden by a supermajority vote).
The voter registration deadline is October 6. The deadline for requesting a vote-by-mail ballot is October 23.
I have lived in Miami for over 4 decades. Here’s what I’ve observed: Lower and lower voter turnout, and the same people — or their family members — getting elected repeatedly.
Now this Mayor’s race has 13 candidates: 6 very familiar ones, and 7 relatively unknown ones. The November vote will most likely result in a December run-off election between the top two.
Whom to vote for? There’s something to be said for experience. There must be some good reasons why the same people keep getting elected, although I suspect plenty of bad reasons, too. The new faces have little funding to campaign. Do I want to risk throwing my vote away?
I’m narrowing my choices down to those candidates who pledge to support the following ballot questions next year:
1. Moving city elections to even-numbered years to increase voter turn-out.
2. Increasing the number of Commission districts from 5 to 9 to make commissioners more accessible.
3. Eliminating gerrymandering by making districts follow major geographic boundaries and keeping neighborhoods intact.
I’m hoping my November vote will mean at least one of the candidates in the December run-off supports all three.