City elections in Miami, Florida (2021)
- Election date: 11/2/2021
- Registration deadline(s): 10/4/2021[1]
- Online registration: Yes[2]
- Same-day registration: No
- Start of early voting: 10/23/2021[3][4]
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): 11/2/2021 (received)[5][6]
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.[7]
2023 →
← 2019
|
| 2021 Miami elections |
|---|
 |
| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: September 18, 2021 |
| General election: November 2, 2021 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor and city council |
| Total seats up: 3 (click here for mayoral elections) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2021 |
The city of Miami, Florida, held general elections for mayor and city commission on November 2, 2021. Two of five commission seats were up for election in 2021. District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo won re-election and Christine King defeated District 5 Commissioner Jeffrey Watson. Watson was appointed to the position on November 18, 2020, to serve the remainder of Keon Hardemon's term.
Four candidates total ran for District 3, and seven ran for District 5. The filing deadline for this election was September 18, 2021. This page covers the city commission elections. Click here to learn more about the city's mayoral election.
The Miami Herald described the relationship between the mayor's and the city commission's powers as follows:[8]
| “ |
Miami’s executive mayor, elected citywide, is a mostly ceremonial position that comes with little legislative power. The mayor can veto legislation, which can be overriden by the five-person City Commission. The mayor can hire and fire the city manager, city government’s chief executive, though the commission can fire the manager, too. To push an agenda, Miami’s figurehead mayor has to convince commissioners to support their issues and promote their initiatives to the public. Commissioners vote on big-ticket city contracts, leases of public land, major zoning changes and other city laws that impact everyday life for people living inside city limits. They also vote on Miami’s $1 billion budget.[9] |
” |
Conflict between the Miami police chief and the city commission unfolded in the weeks leading up to the election. Click here to learn more.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
Board of Commissioners District 3
General election
General election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 3
Incumbent Joe Carollo defeated Rodney Quinn Smith, Andriana Oliva, and Miguel Soliman in the general election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 3 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joe Carollo (Nonpartisan) | 64.4 | 4,001 |
| Rodney Quinn Smith (Nonpartisan) | 21.8 | 1,355 | ||
| Andriana Oliva (Nonpartisan) | 9.5 | 591 | ||
 | Miguel Soliman (Nonpartisan) | 4.3 | 266 | |
| Total votes: 6,213 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bruno Barreiro (Nonpartisan)
Board of Commissioners District 5
General election
General election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 5
The following candidates ran in the general election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 5 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Christine King (Nonpartisan) | 64.9 | 4,124 | |
 | Jeffrey Watson (Nonpartisan) | 15.8 | 1,004 | |
 | Michael Hepburn (Nonpartisan) | 9.1 | 575 | |
 | Stephanie Thomas (Nonpartisan) | 4.1 | 258 | |
| François Alexandre Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 3.5 | 224 | ||
 | Zico Fremont (Nonpartisan) | 2.0 | 128 | |
| Revran Lincoln (Nonpartisan) | 0.6 | 39 | ||
| Total votes: 6,352 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Demetrius Jackson (Nonpartisan)
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Florida elections, 2021
November 2, 2021
- City elections in Miami, Florida (2021)
- City elections in Hialeah, Florida (2021)
- Mayoral election in Hialeah, Florida (2021)
- Mayoral election in Miami, Florida (2021)
- Miami, Florida, Biscayne Marine Partners Waterfront Development Lease Charter Amendment (November 2021)
November 16, 2021
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[10]
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "With a healthy dose of tenacity, compassion, commitment, ingenuity, dedication, integrity, and a love for family and community, Stephanie Thomas brings a wealth of experience to just about any role. A seasoned public sector professional with nearly two decades of service, Stephanie is the embodiment of infectious selflessness. It is no surprise then that this dedicated public servant is ready to fight for her district, making a choice to serve the community in which she was born and raised—and still lives today, in the same house. A proud Haitian-American whose parents migrated from Haiti in the 1960s, Stephanie recounts her childhood with a palpable fondness. She especially relishes memories of family outings to the historic Gesu Roman Catholic Church and her tenure at Edison Elementary School, Morningside Elementary School, Nautilus Middle School, and Miami Beach Senior High School. An avid learner, Stephanie went on to earn her Associates’s Degree in Pharmacy from Miami-Dade College, a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management, as well as a Master’s in Health Informatics from Florida International University, and a Master’s degree concentrating in Public Administration from the University of Miami. But she’s not done. A devoted wife, caregiver, and mother of two young adults, Stephanie earned her Doctorate in Health Sciences from the Eastern Virginia Medical School. It’s little wonder she finds herself eager to use her experiences to serve District 5."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Miami Board of Commissioners District 5 in 2021.
Election resources
Campaign finance
Campaign websites
Find links to campaign websites below, where available.
District 3
District 5
Candidate survey
|
|
Ballotpedia invites candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Noteworthy events
Conflict between city commission and police chief
In the weeks leading up to the November election, conflict emerged between the city commission and Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo, whom City Manager Art Noriega hired in April. On October 11, Noriega announced he had suspended Acevedo and intended to end his employment.[11]
On September 24, Acevedo sent a memo to Noriega and Mayor Francis Suarez saying that Commissioners Carollo, Manuel Reyes, and Alex Diaz de la Portilla tried to interfere with police department reforms and an internal investigation into use of force. On September 27, four of five commissioners—the three mentioned in Acevedo's memo along with Watson—voted to open an investigation into Acevedo's conduct, how he was hired, and whether any commissioners interfered with the police department's internal investigation.[12]
Carollo criticized Acevedo over a lawsuit during his time as police chief in Austin alleging that he ignored rape cases, over a report that he showed sexually explicit photos of another officer to other officers, and for wearing tight pants while impersonating Elvis.[12] Carollo also alleged that Acevedo threatened to have him and other commissioners arrested in an act of retaliation over the investigation.[13]
Ballotpedia did not find comments from Acevedo as of October 12. Acevedo won a settlement in a lawsuit related to the accusation about sharing sexually explicit photos in which he stated he was the victim of retaliation.[14]
Election history
2019
- See also: City elections in Miami, Florida (2019)
District 1
General runoff election
General runoff election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Alex Díaz de la Portilla (Nonpartisan) | 60.8 | 2,787 |
 | Miguel Angel Gabela (Nonpartisan) | 39.2 | 1,797 | |
| Total votes: 4,584 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alex Díaz de la Portilla (Nonpartisan) | 38.8 | 2,489 |
| ✔ | | Miguel Angel Gabela (Nonpartisan) | 20.8 | 1,338 |
| Eleazar Melendez (Nonpartisan) | 17.6 | 1,127 | ||
| Horacio Aguirre (Nonpartisan) | 10.7 | 684 | ||
| Francisco Pichel (Nonpartisan) | 5.2 | 334 | ||
| Verania Hermida (Nonpartisan) | 4.1 | 261 | ||
| Yanny Hidalgo (Nonpartisan) | 2.9 | 187 | ||
| Total votes: 6,420 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
District 2
General election
General election for Miami Board of Commissioners District 2
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ken Russell (Nonpartisan) | 59.6 | 3,777 |
| Jim Fried (Nonpartisan) | 15.3 | 971 | ||
 | Rosa Palomino (Nonpartisan) | 13.6 | 862 | |
 | Javier Gonzalez (Nonpartisan) | 11.5 | 726 | |
| Total votes: 6,336 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
District 4
General election
The general election was canceled. Manuel Reyes (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
2017
District 3
Joe Carollo defeated Alfonso Leon in the runoff election for the District 3 seat on the Miami Board of Commissioners.[15]
| Miami Board of Commissioners, District 3 Runoff Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Joe Carollo |
52.76% | 2,409 |
| Alfonso Leon | 47.24% | 2,157 |
| Total Votes | 4,566 | |
| Source: Miami-Dade County Elections, "November 21, 2017 - Miami Run-Off Election," November 27, 2017 | ||
The following candidates ran in the general election for the District 3 seat on the Miami Board of Commissioners.[15]
| Miami Board of Commissioners, District 3 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Joe Carollo |
30.24% | 1,818 |
| Alfonso Leon |
20.31% | 1,221 |
| Zoraida Barreiro | 20.03% | 1,204 |
| Tomás N. Regalado | 15.55% | 935 |
| Miguel Soliman | 5.94% | 357 |
| Jose Suarez | 4.91% | 295 |
| Alex Dominguez | 3.03% | 182 |
| Total Votes | 6,012 | |
| Source: Miami-Dade County Elections, "November 7, 2017 - Fall Municipal Elections," accessed November 22, 2017 | ||
District 4
Manuel Reyes defeated Ralph Rosado and Denise Galvez Turros in the general election for the District 4 seat on the Miami Board of Commissioners.[15]
| Miami Board of Commissioners, District 4 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Manuel Reyes |
56.74% | 4,263 |
| Ralph Rosado | 36.15% | 2,716 |
| Denise Galvez Turros | 7.11% | 534 |
| Total Votes | 7,513 | |
| Source: Miami-Dade County Elections, "November 7, 2017 - Fall Municipal Elections," accessed November 22, 2017 | ||
District 5
☑ Keon Hardemon (i)
About the city
- See also: Miami, Florida
Miami is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of 2020, its population was 442,241.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Miami uses a "mayor-city commissioner plan." In this form of municipal government, an elected board of commissioners serves as the city's primary legislative body while a mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor appoints an administrative executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement city policies.[16]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Miami, Florida | ||
|---|---|---|
| Miami | Florida | |
| Population | 442,241 | 21,538,187 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 35 | 53,653 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 65.4% | 71.6% |
| Black/African American | 16% | 15.9% |
| Asian | 1.3% | 2.8% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | N/A | 3.3% |
| Multiple | 12.6% | 6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 72.5% | 25.8% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 78.3% | 88.5% |
| College graduation rate | 31.5% | 30.5% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $44,268 | $57,703 |
| Persons below poverty level | 21.5% | 13.3% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Miami, Florida | Florida | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Miami-Dade County, "Election Calendar (2021)," accessed July 27, 2021
- ↑ To register online, voters must have a either valid Florida driver license or Florida identification card. Voters without these materials may still use the online registration tool to pre-fill a registration form, which he or she must then print, sign, and mail/deliver to his or her county Supervisor of Elections' office.
- ↑ Miami-Dade County, "Early Voting," accessed July 27, 2021
- ↑ AARP, "How to Vote in Miami’s 2021 Municipal Elections," July 26, 2021
- ↑ Absentee/mail-in ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2021. Ballots may be returned by mail, deposited at an early voting location during business hours, or hand-delivered to the Miami-Dade Elections Department during business hours. Learn more here.
- ↑ Miami-Dade County, "Vote-by-Mail Ballot," accessed July 27, 2021
- ↑ Miami-Dade County, "Voting on Election Day," accessed July 27, 2021
- ↑ Miami Herald, "The city of Miami is having an election in November. Here is the list of candidates," September 19, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Miami police chief being fired after 6 months on the job," October 12, 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Florida Politics, "Miami Commissioners vote to investigate police chief, themselves for misconduct," September 28, 2021
- ↑ CBS Miami, "Commissioner Joe Carollo Tells Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo, ‘Quit Threatening Us’ During Meeting To Discuss Chief’s Future," October 1, 2021
- ↑ WLRN, "From high praise to the hot seat: How Miami's police chief saga became political theater," October 7, 2021
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcandidatelist - ↑ Miami City Charter, Sec. 4a, accessed October 22, 2014
| |||||||||
