This story first appeared in the Coconut Grove Spotlight
Former Miami City commissioner and mayoral candidate Ken Russell was livid when he heard the news of a proposal that would delay city elections by a year. He recorded an angry Instagram reel and tore into the idea.
“This is a selfish power grab that is being used to give the commissioners and the mayor an extra year in office that they’re not entitled to,” he said. “It circumvents the will of the voters.”
The proposal, which has been circulating in Miami City Hall in recent weeks and was described by the Miami Herald on May 8, has stirred strong opposition from several candidates and political experts. Though most agree moving elections to even years to align with other municipalities as well as state and federal ballots make sense, they say such a move is simply bad for democracy.
The proposal, which still hasn’t been formalized, would allow City of Miami commissioners to vote on extending their own terms and that of Mayor Francis Suarez, by one year. It would shift elections from odd-numbered to even-numbered years.
None of the five mayoral candidates contacted by the Spotlight could say exactly where the idea started.
Mayor Francis Suarez spoke about moving elections in his State of the City speech in January 2024. Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, whose seat is also up for election in November, told the Herald he isn’t interested in adding an extra year to his term.
Neither cops to coming up with the idea. Carollo did not return two phone calls and an email. Suarez, who has veto power, declined to comment.
Dario Moreno, a professor of political and international relations at Florida International University, calls the proposal “outrageous,” acknowledging that while aligning local and national elections could increase voter turnout, the method of giving the mayor and commissioners an extra year without a citizen vote is flawed.
“One of the reasons for going to even-year elections is to get more people to participate in local government,” said Moreno. “In the long term it’s not a bad idea, the problem is the methodology.”
Moreno noted that when officials leave office mid-term in many states, special elections, often called “half terms,” are held to let voters decide who fills the remainder. This practice aligns with political shifts or national cycles. He argued that if Miami’s election timeline is to change, voters should make that decision.
“By having another year in office, [Suarez] has another year to raise money for whatever his next step is,” said Moreno. “As an incumbent mayor of the city, you have more possibilities to fundraise than being the ex-mayor of the city.”
So far seven candidates have signed up to run for mayor. Among them are not only Russell, but also County Commissioner Elieen Higgins, perennial candidate Michael A. Hepburn, community activist Ijamyn Joseph Grey and real estate professional June Savage.
Savage, a Coconut Grove resident, strongly opposes the proposal. She has voiced frustration with Miami’s state of politics, describing the city as “burned out” and “exhausted” by ongoing elections, corruption and a lack of transparency.
“The city deserves what the residents want and vote on,” said Savage. “It’s time to put the vote back into the voters’ hands and save democracy.”
Hepburn, who has held no formal place in office and is a longtime community activist, argues the proposal reflects years of neglect around civic engagement.
“I think it’s a culmination of just years of neglect of what we call the ‘civic empowerment gap,’” said Hepburn. “Just having more people vote for the sake of increasing voter turnout numbers does not help us if people don’t actually understand who they are voting for or against.”
He warns that shifting Miami’s election to an even year would bury it beneath a crowded general election ballot.
“Our mayoral and commissioner elections and ballot initiatives will be thrown into the pot with so many other races, including high-profile ones and not,” said Hepburn. “We would just be relying on hope that the majority of our residents are doing their homework on all of the candidates, judges, ballot questions, charter amendments, and everything else before they vote. That’s a risky assumption.”
Gray, who grew up in Coconut Grove, has mixed feelings about the proposal.
“It may make the voters think a little longer due to more people on the ballot,” he said. “It can help with voter turnout, get more people to come out and vote.”
Higgins, who represents areas including the Roads, downtown and Little Havana, has served on the county commission since 2018. She shrugs off the chatter.
“Right now this is just speculation and political chatter among insiders,” said Higgins. “If the issue is brought forward, it will be up to the city’s elected leaders to decide.”
The proposal could be linked to a separate proposal from Commissioner Damian Pardo to create term limits for elected officials that will be voted on June 12. Until then, it won’t be clear whether the issue will be voted on.
“To change the elections to even years would be great for the city, but when they do it in this way, it muddies up the message,” said Russell. “It’s a good policy, but it could die for bad politics if it’s attached to this power grab.”
This article is part of a collaboration between the Spotlight and Florida International University’s Caplin News.
