Midterm election results: Miami-Dade Commission, Miami Beach runoff and more

Races and referendums in the Miami-Dade metro saw plenty of hot ballot action last night.

Miami-Dade County Commission: In District 2, home to many Haitian Americans, Marleine Bastien, a social worker who was born in Pont-Benoit, Haiti, prevailed over North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, who's also Haitian-born.

• In District 6 — which covers Coral Gables, Hialeah, the airport and more — Kevin Marino Cabrera, a politically connected lobbyist with endorsements from former President Trump and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, defeated Jorge Fors Jr., a lawyer and Coral Gables commissioner. The campaign was contentious, with Fors suing Cabrera for defamation.

Hot spot: In Miami Beach, a runoff will take place Dec. 6 between the top two vote-getters for a city commission seat.

• Five candidates tangled for the role that was vacated this summer when Commissioner Mark Samuelian died unexpectedly.
• Laura Dominguez, Samuelian's life partner and founder of a digital marketing firm, took the lead with around 41% of the vote. Sabrina Cohen, a disability advocate, won the second-highest share, about 31%.

In a race for state representative, former reality TV star Fabian Basabe, a Republican, eked out a win over Jordan W. Leonard, a one-time mayor and commissioner in Bay Harbor Islands, with a margin of 236 votes (of more than 52,000 cast).

Ballot questions: Voters nixed two proposals to lease city-owned parking lots near Lincoln Road for 99 years for the development of offices.

• They also rejected a zoning change that would have paved the way for a proposed luxury condo development at the site of the soon-to-be-demolished Deauville Hotel.

Voters agreed to spend on schools and the arts: Countywide, voters agreed to pay more in property taxes to increase teacher pay and expand school safety.

• Miami Beach voters agreed to authorize $159 million in bonds for arts and culture facilities, including the Bass Museum, the Fillmore, the Byron Carlisle Theatre, Miami City Ballet and the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.

Go deeper: Additional election results for Miami-Dade County.