Election Day is underway across the City of Miami and Miami Beach, where voters are heading to the polls to decide who will lead their cities next.
- In Miami Beach, residents will choose a new mayor and three city commissioners.
- Across the bay, City of Miami voters will elect a mayor and fill two commission seats.
- Hialeah will also elect a new – either the incumbent Jackie Garcia-Roves, who has served for five months, or one of four challengers.
Here’s what you need to know before you cast your ballot.
Where do I vote on Election Day?
All polling places are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
State law requires that voters who cast their ballot on Nov. 4 must go to their assigned polling place. In total there are 74 such sites. You can find yours here.
When you go to your polling place, you’ll need a current and valid ID that contains your name, photograph and signature. Without it, you will not be able to vote.
Acceptable forms of identification include:
- Florida drivers license
- United States passport
- Student identification
- Military identification
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county or a municipality.
- Neighborhood association identification.
- Public assistance identification
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections, located at 2700 NW 87th Ave., must receive all mail-in ballots before the polls close today. Polling locations cannot accept mail-in ballots on Election Day.
Turnout has varied across the city – with Miami City Hall seeing little activity in the early morning and the voting site at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens drawing a steady stream of voters.
Former commissioner and City of Miami mayoral candidate, spent the morning at Vizcaya, speaking with voters as they arrived.
“I have not missed one minute at the polls from open to close,” said Russell. “I don’t understand where else a candidate could be on any one of these election days.”
He says by the end of the today he’ll be a professional sign spinner.
“You would be surprised at how many people change their mind or lock their vote in that walk between their car and City Hall,” said Russell.
Am I eligible to vote?
In order to cast a ballot, you must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Miami-Dade County. Anyone convicted of a felony and has not had their rights restored or adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting cannot cast their ballot.
Who are the candidates in the City of Miami?
The City of Miami will be filling a seat for mayor and seats for commissioner of District 3 and District 5.
Mayoral candidates
- Xavier Suárez
- Ken Russell
- Emilio T. González
- Eileen Higgins
- Joe Carollo
- Alex Díaz de la Portilla
- Alyssa Crocker
- Laura Anderson
- Christian Cevallos
- Elijah John Bowdre
- Kenneth James DeSantis
- Michael A. Hepburn
- June Savage
Among the crowded field, six candidates have emerged as the most prominent contenders, each bringing their own record, reputation and vision for the city.
This includes two former mayors, Joe Carollo and Xavier Suarez. Former city manager and retired U.S. Army Col. Emilio Gonzalez. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins. Former city commissioners Ken Russell and Alex Diaz de la Portilla.
González, 68, served as Miami’s city manager from 2018 to 2020. His tenure ended amid conflict with the city commission, including allegations that he expedited a permit for his home. Recently, he sued to stop the city’s efforts to postpone the election without voter approval—a move that drew public outrage.
“Our residents have pretty much lost respect for our municipal leaders,” González said during a debate. “They don’t believe anything they say, and that’s key, because no matter what you want to do in this city, if you can’t trust the person in charge, nothing gets done.”
Carollo, 70, served as mayor from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2001. In 2023, he lost a $63.5 million verdict after Little Havana bar owners sued him for harassment. Carollo has maintained that he has been unfairly targeted.
Suarez, Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, was elected in 1985 and later served as county commissioner. He was dubbed “Mayor Loco” by the Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen after he showed up at an unhappy resident’s home late at night. He was praised for his leadership during the 1989 Lozano riots, when he walked the streets to calm the city’s African American population after a police officer shot and killed an unarmed Black man.
Suarez has called for proper tax reform, saying the state’s proposal to eliminate property taxes “makes absolutely no sense.” Instead, he has proposed increasing the homestead exemption to cover homes up to the median market value in Miami-Dade County.
Higgins, 60, nicknamed “La Gringa,” represents District 5 on the County Commission, which includes Little Havana, South Beach, and Brickell. She recently began her third four-year term after winning without opposition.
Launching her campaign, Higgins said she is prioritizing small businesses and the housing crisis. She also pledges to expedite the slow permitting process, which she attributes to stalled flooding issues and critical infrastructure updates.
“There is a huge backlog in the city that needs to be accelerated,” she said in an interview with the Biscayne Times.
Russell, 51, a former yo-yo champion turned Miami city commissioner, is making his political comeback after a two-year hiatus from public office. His political career began after discovering that a park in his Coconut Grove residential neighborhood contained toxic soil, and he pushed the city to remove it.
Russell’s central focus is restoring order. “What we need is an adult in the room, and we haven’t had that, because no mayor has sat as the chairman of this commission in decades,” he said.
Díaz de la Portilla was elected to the city commission in 2019 and was suspended by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following his arrest, which resulted in 14 felony charges – including bribery and money laundering – that were later dropped.
“Political rivals and the fake media weaponized the legal system and used lawfare to interfere with my re-election, but they failed to destroy me,” Díaz de la Portilla said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “Now fully vindicated, I am back to serve the community I love and to make Miami Great Again.”
District 3 commission candidates
District 3 covers Downtown, East Shenandoah, Little Havana, West Brickell, parts of Silver Bluff and the Roads.
- Frank Carollo
- Brenda Maribel Betancourt
- Oscar Elio Alejandro
- Yvonne Bayona
- Rolando Escalona
- Denise Galvez Turros
- Robert “Rob” Piper III
- Fayez Tanous
With no incumbent, the District 3 race is wide open as Commissioner Joe Carollo is leaving office after reaching his term limit.
The most recognizable name in the race is Frank Carollo, Joe Carollo’s brother and former city commissioner, who represented the district from 2009 to 2017.
Carollo is a certified public accountant who helped balance city budgets, upgrade stormwater systems and launch the Havana trolley. But his tenure wasn’t without controversy – he was fined in 2012 for an ethics violation after calling the police chief during a traffic stop.
Another contender drawing attention is Oscar Alejandro, 26, a first-time candidate who has centered his campaign on bringing new energy and transparency to city government. The Miami Herald recently endorsed Alejandro, describing him as a voice for a younger generation and prioritizing basic grassroots work.
District 5 commission candidates
District 5 covers Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown, Wynwood and the Upper East Side.
- Christine King – Incumbent
- Marion K. Brown
- Frederick Bryant
Christine King, 59, is an attorney and former nonprofit leader who was first elected in 2021, focusing on affordable housing and supporting the immigrant community. Construction executive Marion K. Brown and community activist Fedrick Bryant are challenging her.
King created the First-Time Homeowner Program for residents, offering assistance with financing and down payments to help them achieve homeownership. However, she raised controversy after voting last year to give herself and other commissioners lifetime pensions.
Bryant is focused on gentrification and housing affordability. Brown unsuccessfully ran for the Miami-Dade Commission District 3 seat in 2024.
Who are the candidates in Miami Beach?
In Miami Beach residents are voting to decide a mayor and three city commissioners, including, Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3.
Mayoral candidates
- Steven Meiner – Incumbent
- Kristen Rosen Gonzalez
Steven Meiner, 54, is seeking re-election as Miami Beach mayor and faces a challenge from realtor and Miami Dade College professor Kristen Rosen Gonzalez.
Meiner, an attorney first elected to the City Commission in 2019, has centered his campaign around public safety and opposition to overdevelopment.
“My mission is to keep turning Miami Beach into a city where residents come first and lead the nation in safety and quality of life,” he said in a statement on Facebook announcing his re-election campaign.
In alignment with his public safety agenda, Meiner has enforced strict measures during spring break, creating parking restrictions and increased fees for non-residents.
His tenure has faced some controversy. In March, he made national news after threatening to evict South Beach art house theater O Cinema when they refused to cancel a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” which explores the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
He later withdrew the proposal, saying, “We’re all proud to be in this country…I really just want what’s best for us, our city.”
Kristen Rosen Gonzelez, a Miami Beach native, was elected to the City Commission in both 2015 and 2021. Known for her outspoken style and occasional missteps, including once falsely claiming she was Hispanic and comparing former Mayor Dan Gelber to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a social media post. She later apologized for both incidents.
“I’m wiser,” she told the Miami Herald. “Even the people that didn’t agree with me now know that they can sit down and speak to me.”
Group 1 commissioner candidates
- Melissa Beattie
- Daniel Ciraldo
- Brian Ehrlich
- Ava Frankel
- Mathew Gultanoff
- Omar Jimenez
- Monroe Mann
- Minica Matteo-Salinas
- Monique Pardo Pope
Eight candidates are vying to replace Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzelz, who is running for mayor of the City of Miami Beach.
One standout candidate included Monica Matteo-Salinas, 46, a city employee and former legislative aide to Rosen Gonzalez and Commissioner Alex Fernandez. She campaigns for affordability, assisting small businesses and public transportation.
She also wants to expand Miami Beach’s trolley fleet and suggests the city should allow taller or denser projects if a development clearly benefits the public.
Group 2 commissioner candidates
- Laura Dominguez – Incumbent
- Fred Karlton
In the Miami Beach City Commission Group 2 race, incumbent Laura Dominguez faces Fred Karlton, a businessman and long-time Miami Beach resident.
Dominguez was elected in 2022 and focused her campaign on public safety, flood resilience and housing affordability. Among the ideas for next term are reviving a hotel employee shuttle system to help alleviate traffic congestion.
Karlton campaigns as a fiscal watchdog and has successfully battled City Hall over zoning issues. But he faces controversy after an incident with a concealed gun at the airport.
Group 3 commissioner candidates
- Alex Fernandez – Incumbent
- Luidgi Mary
Alex Fernandez first won his Group 3 seat in 2021 and pledged that, when elected, he would preserve historic buildings and protect tenant rights. He is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in Miami.
In 2024, commissioners voted to increase their salaries by $20,000. He voted for the increase but did not accept the money.
Luidgi Mary was a member of the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee in 2024 and has criticized City Hall for being dominated by political insiders.
Who are the candidates in Hialeah?
In Hialeah, residents are voting to decide a mayor and three city commissioners, including, Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3.
Mayor
- Jacqueline Garcia-Roves – Incumbent
- Bryan Calvo
- Bernardino Norberto Rodriguez
- Marc Anthony Salva
- Jesus Tundidor
City Council Group IV
- Mariana Chavez
- Phillip Kennedy
- William Marrero
- Javier Morejon
- Juan Santana
City Council Group V
- Carl Zogby
City Council Group VI
- Melinda De La Vega
- Juan Junco
- Christopher Monzon
City Council Group VII
- Julio Beltran
- Abdel Jimenez
- Luis Rodriguez
City Council Group III
- Jessica Castillostatus
- Kassandra Yamilet Montandon
- Gelien Perezstatus
