Miami Election: Gimenez, Mucarsel-Powell Vie For District 26 Seat

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — In the 2020 election, Miami voters will choose the winner of the U.S. House of Representatives District 26 congressional race. Republican Carlos Gimenez and incumbent Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell are vying for the role.

How to vote

As the Nov. 3 election approaches, Miami-Dade County voters can submit their ballots at early voting locations and at drop-off boxes through Sunday. They can also vote at their local voting precinct on Election Day.

If voting in person, either early or on Nov. 3, voters must bring a current and valid ID with their name, photo and signature. Find a full list of acceptable IDs here.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day. Though it’s too late to send them using the U.S. Postal Service, they can be dropped off at any early voting location Sunday or at the Supervisor of Elections office on Tuesday. Find a list of early voting locations here. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot has passed.

If you choose to vote in person on Nov. 3, you can look up your voting precinct online here. For your vote to count, you must vote in the precinct in which you reside. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Meet the candidates

Miami Patch recently sent out questionnaires to learn more about who these candidates are and where they stand on local issues. Though neither candidate submitted responses, we’ve compiled some information about them.

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.