Miami 2020 Election: Candidates, Races, Issues

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL —Miami-area voters head to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes for candidates and determine the fate of statewide constitutional amendments.

There are plenty of decisions to make in the general elections this year. Like voters around the country, Miami-Dade County residents are eager to have a say in the outcome of this year’s presidential race between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger, Vice President Joe Biden. There’s also a multitude of local races to consider, including the mayoral runoff and the congressional seats.

So far, voter turnout has been “remarkable” this year, said Monica Skoko Rodriguez, president of the League Woman Voters of Miami-Dade and executive director of Miami-Dade County Commission of Women.

"I think that it's a mix of, obviously, the pandemic — people are being a little more afraid to vote in person and we're seeing a lot of vote-by-mail returns — but there (was) a lot of early voting as well in person,” she said. “(That signaled) to us that people are excited to vote and want(ed) their vote counted early."

Officials expect that 80 percent of eligible Miami-Dade County voters will turn out by the time polls close on Tuesday, said Robert Rodriguez, assistant deputy supervisor of elections. Usually, turnout caps at about 72 percent during presidential elections.

The county is on pace to hit these numbers, he added. As of Sunday, 61 percent of voters — or 956,931 people — had voted. There are 1.56 million registered voters in Miami-Dade.

Going into Election Day, Skoko Rodriguez isn’t sure what to expect on Tuesday.

"There are kind of two ways it could go. It could mean all of this early voting is because folks are a little more educated about early voting and maybe this year, they wanted to seek out different options,” she said. “This heightened early voting could lead to a more tepid and regular Election Day turnout or, as in what happened with the primaries (in August), both are just going to be high turnout."

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Meet the candidates

For those opting to vote in person on Nov. 3, Miami Patch has compiled information that will help you make informed decisions at the polls. Here’s everything you need to know about candidates, races and issues in Miami-Dade County.

Representative in Congress, District 23

Republican Carla Spalding and Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz are vying for the congressional seat in District 23. Learn more about these candidates here.

According to her campaign website, Republican Carla Spalding said she immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. After serving in the U.S. Navy, she went on to earn a master’s degree. She became a registered nurse, college professor and a small business owner.

She wrote, “I served in the military to protect our great citizens, then I served as a VA and registered nurse to protect our sick. I’m now running to ‘cure’ a very ‘sick’ Congress, so I can continue to protect you from all enemies…foreign, domestic and pandemic.”

Spalding said she’ll protect the health of citizens; the “Constitution, right and freedoms;” jobs and the economy; the safety of first responders; and school choice.

Learn more about Spalding at her campaign website.

According to her U.S. House of Representatives website, Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz has represented District 23 in U.S. Congress since 2005. Previously, she served in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate.

“As Florida’s first Jewish Congresswoman, she has earned the respect of her colleagues for working tirelessly on behalf of seniors, children, and families for nearly three decades,” her U.S. House bio reads.

It also said she’s “known for vigorously defending her progressive values, (and) has also demonstrated her ability to pass meaningful legislation in a bipartisan fashion.”

Her campaign website said, “Wasserman Schultz will work with everyone and anyone to ensure that our children are protected, that women have access to quality health care and the tools to be their own best health care advocates, and that senior citizens have the safety net they have paid into and are protected from identify thieves.”

The legislation she has introduced that is now law include the EARLY Act, which provides funding to the Centers for Disease Control for educational outreach that young women do get breast cancer. She was also behind the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, a state grant program to encourage pool and spa safety.

She also partnered with then Senator Joe Biden to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act, which established funding and a federal plan for prosecuting criminals that exploit children online. Her HERO Act of 2015 further bolstered these efforts. Other legislation has focused on victims of human trafficking and women who have a child conceived by rape, among other issues.

Learn more about Wasserman Schultz at her campaign website.

Representative in Congress, District 24

Republican Lavern Spicer, Democrat Frederica Wilson and Independent Christine Alexandria Olivo are vying for the congressional seat in District 24. Learn more about these candidates here.

For 25 years, Lavern Spicer has served as CEO of Curley’s House of Hope, Inc., which she founded. She also holds a cosmetology license through Miami-Dade College. She lives in Miami with her husband, Arthur.

She told Miami Patch, “Congressional District 24, is wrenched with nothing but poverty and despair. When I am elected as the new congresswoman, I will be my plan to attack this problem with legislation that enforces our economic opportunity laws…In addition, I would also like to propose legislation that addresses the district's lack of affordable housing, gentrification and small business funding within the inner-city areas.””

Spicer added, “My campaign is the voice that fights for all of the people in the district. My campaign is the match that ignites alleged political scheming and exposes public corruption existing in the district.

Learn more about Spicer at her campaign website.

Frederica Wilson has represented Florida’s 24th Congressional District since 2010. Prior to this, she was an educator, serving as an elementary school principal, according to her U.S. House web page. She went on to serve on the school board, as a state legislator and also founded the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project.

On her campaign website, she wrote, “During my time in Congress, I have been fighting for good, fair-paying jobs in safe environments for our workers; increased and better opportunities for our children; and safety, security, and prosperity in our communities. I am working hard both in Florida and in Washington, D.C., to advocate for us and to ensure that our voices are heard.”

Wilson also called herself a “voice for the voiceless,” a “lobbyist for the children,” “totally unbought and unbossed” and a “relentless fighter.”

Learn more about Wilson at her campaign website.

According to Christine Alexandria Olivo’s website, her two biggest passions have been her faith and performing arts. She spent seven years in Los Angeles pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. At the same time, found herself drawn to a more religious path and became involved in various ministries in California.

Once she returned to Miami, she has held roles as youth director for Holy Cross Lutheran Church and also served in AmeriCorps, working with inner city children and teaching parenting classes. She’s currently enrolled at Barry University pursuing a degree in public administration.

According to her campaign website, she calls for “immediate economic assistance and relief for families and small businesses.” She thinks unemployment benefits should continue during the pandemic and that each household should receive an additional $2,000 a month. She hopes to establish a universal basic income.

She calls for Medicare for all and a $15 minimum wage. She’s also an advocate for gun reform, calling for universal background checks. Criminal justice reform is needed as well, including an end to cash bail and the exploitation of prison labor.

Learn more about Olivo at her campaign website.

Representative in Congress, District 26

Republican Carlos Gimenez, incumbent Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and write-in candidate Frank E. Polo Sr. are vying for the congressional seat in District 26.

According to his campaign website, Frank E. Polo Sr. wrote, “Miami needs a true conservative leader backed by many years of experience in managing a private sector business, and by an education in business and law to resolve the issues concerning our communities. Miami needs someone who knows international politics. Miami needs Frank E. Polo, Sr. for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020.”

Originally from Cuba, he escaped the country on a raft when he was 22 and was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard. He went on to earn a degree in business administration and built an international telecommunications company from 2006 to 2013. He went on to earn a law degree from the University of St. Thomas, specializing in tax law.
He supports affordable health care for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Another key issue for him is working to recover the economy as the pandemic continues. He wants to find new ideas to bring back jobs. One way is through job creation in the trucking industry.
A supported of education and children, he wants to lower student loans and introduce bills that will prevent political indoctrination in the schools. He’s also a supporter of religious rights, affordable housing, and also denounces communism and dictatorships.
Learn more about Polo at his campaign website.

Carlos Gimenez currently serves as mayor of Miami-Dade County and has served in this role since 2011. Born in Cuba, he immigrated to the United States with his family in 1960. Holding a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Barry University, he served the Miami Fire Rescue Department for 25 years, nine of them as chief. He was appointed city manager of Miami in 2000.

In his role as mayor, he’s saved residents more than $1.9 billion in property taxes – more than $1,700 per household, according to his campaign website. To help control the county budget, he cut his salary in half and the budget of his office by more than $1 million. He also made county finances completely transparent and available online for taxpayers to view.

Among the issues that matter the most to him in his current congressional race are building a stronger economy; cutting taxes and balancing the budget; improving infrastructure, health care and education. He also supports environmental protections, military veterans, pro-life issues and securing the border.

Learn more about Gimenez at his campaign website.

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, currently serving Florida’s 26th District, immigrated to the United States from Ecuador as a young girl. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Pitzer College and a master’s degree in international political economy from Claremont Graduate University.

Before joining Congress, she spent 20 years “dedicated to improving the lives of underserved communities in Miami-Dade, working for non-profit organizations such as the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation,” she wrote on her campaign website.

Since 2003, she’s worked with the College of Health at Florida International University and, since its inception, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Mucarsel-Powell established the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP program at FIU to improve health care access for the community. Access to health care continue to be an issue of importance for her.

She’s a strong advocate for gun safety legislation after her father was killed by gun violence. She promotes background checks and a ban on assault rifles. She’s a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. A proponent for immigration reform and human rights, she also sits on the Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee, and Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee.

According to Mucarsel-Powell’s website, she initially ran for office two years ago “because the same opportunities that allowed her and her family to improve their lives have been disappearing for too many of our neighbors. Too many families are struggling to get by and are one unexpected expense from not recovering. She believes we must give people a fair chance by focusing on growing the economy, paying workers a living wage and making college affordable.”

Learn more about Mucarsel-Powell at her campaign website.

Representative in Congress, District 27

Write-in candidate Frank E. Polo, Sr., Republican Maria Elvira Salazar and incumbent Democrat Donna Shalala are vying for the congressional seat in District 27.

According to his campaign website, Frank E. Polo, Sr. wrote, “Miami needs a true conservative leader backed by many years of experience in managing a private sector business, and by an education in business and law to resolve the issues concerning our communities. Miami needs someone who knows international politics. Miami needs Frank E. Polo, Sr. for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020.”

Originally from Cuba, he escaped the country on a raft when he was 22 and was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard. He went on to earn a degree in business administration and built an international telecommunications company from 2006 to 2013. He went on to earn a law degree from the University of St. Thomas, specializing in tax law.

He supports affordable health care for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Another key issue for him is working to recover the economy as the pandemic continues. He wants to find new ideas to bring back jobs. One way is through job creation in the trucking industry.

A supported of education and children, he wants to lower student loans and introduce bills that will prevent political indoctrination in the schools. He’s also a supporter of religious rights, affordable housing, and also denounces communism and dictatorships.

Learn more about Polo at his campaign website.

Maria Elvira Salazar is a Cuban American journalist who has worked for Univision, CNN Español, Telemundo and Mega TV. She has won five Emmy Awards for her work.

According to her campaign website, she’s “running for Congress to stop socialism from ever coming and ruining America.” She expressed concern that “freedom and the pursuit of the American Dream is at stake as leaders in Congress on the left want to implement socialism in this country.”

While the economy is “growing at record pace” and “Hispanics and African-Americans are joining the labor force in impressive numbers,” she hopes to build on this momentum. She also said she wants to rid Congress of career politicians and supports term limits.

Other issues she supports include access to affordable health care, environmental protections to combat climate change and access to improved educational opportunities.

Learn more about Salazar at her campaign website.

According to her U.S. House of Representative website, Democrat Donna Shalala describes herself “as an advocate for women’s rights, civil rights, increased access to healthcare, better education and public schools, and a clean and sustainable environment.”

Before serving District 27, she was the longest-serving secretary of Health and Human Services in U.S. history, working with Pres. Bill Clinton. After that, she was president of the University of Miami from 2001 to 2015.

According to her campaign website, if re-elected, Shalala will be “ready on day one. Miami needs someone in Washington who is ready to step up to the plate and make things happen on Day One. Donna Shalala is that person.”

Her website also said one of her biggest priorities is climate change, which she believes “is the biggest planetary challenge we face in the 21st Century, and for South Florida it is a dire existential threat. The United States must once again assume a position of leadership in an international, coordinate response to the threat posed by global warming.”

She’s also focused on building higher wage jobs and helping working families. Her website said that she “wants to build an economy that invests in people, not in tax cuts for the wealthy. Smart, strategic investments that include an education system that prepares our children for the jobs and industries of the future; investments that will allow everyone in our society to enjoy a decent minimum standard of living.”

She also wants to improve the immigration process and welcome immigrants “with fairness, dignity and compassion.” Improved health care access is another area of importance for her, as is increasing government funding of education and schools.

Learn more about Shalala at her campaign website.

Miami-Dade County Commission, Mayoral Run-off

Esteban L. Bovo and Daniella Levine Cava vie for the role of mayor of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. Learn more about these candidates here.

Daniella Levine Cava lives with her husband, Robert, in Miami-Dade County. She has served as a county commissioner from 2014 to 2020.

She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Yale University. She earned her graduate degrees in law and social work from Columbia University.

“Miami-Dade County has no shortage of pressing challenges to respond to, and none is more immediate than the need to chart an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery,” she told Miami Patch. “The coronavirus pandemic has cost our community over 3,500 lives and tens of thousands of jobs, and our next mayor has a responsibility to protect our community from continued suffering.”

She added, “My plan to bring us back from the coronavirus pandemic begins with appointing a chief medical officer to help lead our response so that they can operate safely and keep their doors open. It will also be important to create a more business-friendly environment that empowers our residents to innovate and create. As mayor, I will scale the Business Accelerator I started in my district as a commissioner and make our county's revolving loan program permanent in order to provide new businesses with a strong foundation for growth.”

Cava also said that systemic racism in Miami-Dade County needs to be handled and a series of reforms are necessary. She also supports protecting the environment, battling the effects of climate change, improving transit and building more affordable housing.

Learn more about Cava on her campaign website.

Esteban L. Bovo was first elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners representing District 13 in 2011. Prior to this, he served as councilman for the city of Hialeah in 1998. In 2008, he was elected as State Representative for District 110 and was re-elected without opposition in 2010.

According to his campaign website, Bovo has a 4x4 Plan for Miami-Dade County if he's elected mayor. This plan focuses on four main priorities for the county: improving residents' quality of life, stimulating small business, promoting safe communities and implementing effective transportation initiatives.

On his website, he wrote, "I am running for mayor of Miami-Dade County because politics cannot continue to be above the priorities of the taxpayer. Business as usual at county hall can't continue for Miami-Dade to prosper and our citizens to have the quality of life they deserve. My candidacy is based on conservative principles to protect taxpayer dollars, ensure transparency, fairness, and fiscal responsibility. Make no mistake, my administration will not serve the interests of the extreme liberals that are looking to redefine America and, in the process, increase Miami-Dade government on the back of its taxpayers."

Bovo is committed to opposing any efforts that will increase property taxes or raise millage rates, eliminating "cronyism and 'pay-to-play' culture that has corrupted contracts," keeping out managed-toll lanes along 826, addressing water-quality issues; and creating a transit expansion plan.

Learn more about Bovo on his campaign website.

Constitutional Amendments

Voters also decided on the fate of six amendments to Florida’s constitution. Here are the amendments voters considered:

Amendment 1: Provides that only U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old, a permanent resident of Florida and registered to vote may vote in a Florida election.

Amendment 2: Raises Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.

Amendment 3: Allows all registered voters to vote in primaries for state legislature, governor and cabinet regardless of political party affiliation.

Amendment 4: Requires proposed amendments or revisions to Florida’s constitution be approved in two elections.

Amendment 5: Increase the period of time accrued Save-Our-Homes benefits may be transferred from a prior homestead to a new homestead from two to three years.

Amendment 6: Allows a homestead property tax discount to be transferred to the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran.