Happy Thursday Friends, Clients & Colleagues,
I hope our newest #ElectionsMatters note finds you and yours well.
As promised, here is a brief summary the results from the Aug. 18th Primary Elections as reported by the Miami-Dade Elections Department. The voter turnout for this primary was robust as voters headed to the polls to decide on key seats and amendments.
Please join us in congratulating the winners and wishing all the best to those entering a runoff in the Nov. 3rd General Election.
Miami-Dade County Commission Races
- District 2: Incumbent Commissioner Marleine Bastien secured another term.
- District 5: Incumbent Commissioner Vicki Lopez finished first with 42.30% of the vote but fell short of the majority needed to win outright. This sends her into a November runoff against Rob Piper, who narrowly edged out Joe Sanchez with 29.49% to Sanchez’s 28.21%.
- District 8: Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins secured another term.
Congressional Races
- Florida’s 24th Congressional District: Oliver G. Gilbert III emerged victorious in a crowded seven-candidate Democratic contest to claim the nomination for the seat long held by retiring Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. He earned 35.15% of the vote.
Governor’s Race (Primary)
- On the Republican side, Byron Donalds won the primary for Governor, defeating several challengers with 57.77% of the vote across the state. He will face David Jolly, the Democratic nominee, in the November general election.
Other Notable Races & Ballot Measures
- City of Miami Referendums: Voters approved moving future municipal elections to even-numbered years beginning with the 2034 and 2036 election cycles. They also approved a long-term agreement intended to help restore and reopen the historic Miami Marine Stadium.
- Property Tax Amendment: A notable measure that will be appearing on the November ballot is the “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” amendment (Amendment 3). This amendment proposes to raise Florida’s homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and it reduces the assessment-growth cap for non-homestead residential and commercial properties from 10% to 5%. It will go to voters for final approval in the General Election.
Finally, we commend Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia and her team for their tireless work to ensure that elections are “fair, accurate, convenient, transparent, and accessible” to all us voters in Miami-Dade.
For comprehensive results, please visit the Miami-Dade County Elections Results website.
As always, we hope this #ElectionsMatters newsletter has been helpful. Rest assured, we will share a similar update covering the Nov. 3rd General Elections.
Warmest personal regards,
Jorge Luis Lopez, Esq.
Governmental Affairs Attorney