Voters throughout Miami-Dade County are headed to the ballot box on Tuesday to pick new mayors, new commissioners and new laws this Election Day.
The cities of Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Homestead and Surfside are all hosting municipal elections today. In Monroe County, voters in the City of Marathon are also headed to polling stations.
WLRN is rounding up the biggest elections in the county and speaking to residents as they cast their vote.
READ MORE: Here's where to find your polling places in Miami-Dade County
Miami
For the first time since 2001, it appears as if the City of Miami might actually have a competitive mayoral election.
Every mayoral election since then has been decided by double digit margins in the first round of voting. That’s unlikely to be the case on Tuesday, however, as thirteen candidates vie to become the next mayor of Miami.
The group of candidates includes two former city mayors, local politicos with strong followings, administrators who have served in appointed roles in government and political newcomers.
City voters are being asked to weigh in on the mayor as well as two city commission seats and four ballot referendums that will shape the city’s future at a time when it has been politically unstable, and at a time of economic crisis for many residents.
As the City of Miami has increased in prominence domestically since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also continued to be considered by many as the “Capital of the Americas,” as evidenced by the Americas Business Forum conference taking place in downtown this week, featuring speakers like President Donald Trump, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Venezuelan activist Maria Corina Machado.
But a shift in recent years — driven in large part by tech and finance workers moving in from out of state — has created a growing affordability crisis for longtime residents. The city has repeatedly found itself being listed among the most unaffordable cities. For the second year in a row, it was listed by UBS Global Wealth Management as having the biggest risk of a housing bubble out of any city in the world, due to a mismatch of local incomes and housing costs.
The city has also been marked by a rolling series of political scandals and infighting among elected leaders at city meetings that often devolve into shouting matches and personal insults.
A general theme of many candidates is the promise to restore an air of normalcy to city government, and the promise to make the city more affordable.
READ MORE: Miami has a mayoral election. Bring on the drama
City voters will be asked to vote on four ballot measures: on establishing an Independent Charter Review Commission within one year of every Census; on whether voters will need to approve the sale or lease of non-waterfront property if they receive fewer than three proposals after being opened to bid; on whether to establish an independent commission for redistricting in order to eliminate gerrymandering; and establishing lifetime term limits for elected officials.
A City of Miami runoff election will take place on Dec. 9 for any races in which no candidate garners more than 50% of the vote.
By noon on Election Day just 27,176 out of nearly 175,000 eligible voters had cast votes, according to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections office, equaling just over 15% voter turnout. Nearly 12,000 registered Democrats had cast votes, compared to about 8,300 Republicans and nearly 6,500 non-party affiliated voters.
The demographic of those voting on election day appear to be mostly the elderly.
At José Marti Park, Gregorio de la Cruz said he simply wanted change. He is struggling with cancer, he said, and finding it hard to keep up with the bills on a fixed income.
"Affordable housing is the most important thing for me," he said. "I'm hoping that my vote went to someone who can do something to help."
The elderly dancing duo known as Ganas Con Canas has produced viral videos with millions of views, and they live in the Brisas Del Rio apartment building in front of loanDepot Park, where the Miami Marlins play. The building's community center doubled as an election day voting precinct. Both said they were strong supporters of Joe Carollo for mayor. Carollo is a former two-term mayor and current city commissioner.
"He's always here. On Christmas he's here with the pork for all the viejitos, with drinks too. He has never forgotten about us. We can't complain," said Filiberto Idanis.
"Even turkey day, he's there giving turkey to all the people here," chimed in Celina, the other half of the duo. "He never abandons us, so of course we will support him."
Hialeah
Hialeah faces its most contentious mayoral election in years, as five candidates face off for the seat left behind by former Mayor Esteban Bovo.
Prospective frontrunners in the race are interim mayor Jackie Garcia-Roves, who was appointed after Bovo stepped down to take a lobbying job in Washington D.C.; Bryan Calvo, a young former councilman who made a reputation of butting heads with Bovo and calling for change; and Jesus Tundidor, a current city councilman who has supported affordable housing measures while in office.
Cost of living is top of mind for voters like Omar Chung, 86, who said he wants elected officials to lower property tax rates. But he says he’s worried more for his neighbors' livelihoods than his own.
“I’m fine, but there are a lot of people who can’t get by. I see them in the grocery store and they can’t afford food, so they have to get just a little bit,” Chung told WLRN in Spanish.
His wife, Nereida Chung, said she’s worried about the state of city streets and Hialeah’s efforts to keep things clean.
“I want Hialeah to worry more about cleaning things up and picking up trash, because some streets look abandoned,” Nereida, 86, said in Spanish.
Hialeah voters also face a packed slate down the ballot, as the city council seats for Groups III, IV, VI and VII are up for election. Incumbent councilmembers Juan Junco and Melinda de la Vega are facing off for the Group VI seat and a chance to stay in City Hall.
Homestead
Homestead has two council positions up for grabs today, along with four referendums.
Retired veteran and private school teacher Tom Davis is running to defend his seat on the city council against Keyes Company realtor and lifelong Homestead resident Kimberly Konsky.
At the same time, Davis is also running against his colleague on the council, Jenifer Bailey, for the position of Vice Mayor, which is held by one of the council members.
Davis has received the endorsement of Mayor Steve Losner. The councilman touts his record on fighting overdevelopment in the rapidly growing south Miami-Dade municipality, including his vote in favor of a moratorium on high-density residential development.
Bailey is on the board for Together for the Children, “an organization that seeks to reduce violence and its impact on youth,” and is a recruitment chair for Boy Scouts of America. She is also running unopposed in her bid for City Council Seat 4.
The City Council Seat 5 race sees incumbent Erica Avila vying to defend her spot against Sonia Castro, who has spent 15 years on the Waterstone Community Development District Board.
Avila’s says her top priority is fixing traffic, while Castro aims to stop overdevelopment and lower taxes.
There are also four referendums on the Homestead ballot:
Referendum 1: Addresses mayor term limits. The item asks if the charter should be amended “to increase the consecutive number of years that an individual may serve as Mayor from eight years to twelve years to align with Councilmember terms."
Referendum 2: Addresses filling in vacancies at city hall. The referendum asks voters if they support requiring a run-off election be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes if no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast during a special election to fill a council vacancy.
Referendum 3: Addresses bonds for the construction of parks projects. The referendum asks if the city should be authorized to issue bonds for up to $36.4 million for parks construction projects.
Referendum 4: Addresses roadway improvements. Asks if the city can issue general obligation bonds for up to $39.6 million for roadway improvement projects.
Miami Beach
Voters will choose the city's next mayor, and it's a two-way race. Outgoing Commissioner Kristen Rosen, a realtor and college professor, is challenging incumbent Steve Meiner, a lawyer who is serving his first term. A simple majority of 50% plus one vote is needed.
Also on the ballot are the seats for commissioner in districts 1, 2 and 3. You can find the full list of candidates here.
Surfside
The Town of Surfside is holding a special election to decide on four ballot measures on: an $80 million utility lines project; the creation of gated communities; requiring unanimous commission approval for projects over $2 million; requiring 60% voter approval for projects over a certain amount.
Marathon
In Monroe County, voters in the City of Marathon will be picking three members of the City Council from a pool of seven candidates, including the incumbents from all three seats.
Polls will close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. For Miami-Dade County you can find times and locations here; to find your specific polling place, along with sample ballots and canvassing board schedules, visit the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections' website. For information on the City of Marathon elections, go to the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections website.
