Miami Beach mayor headed for re-election

The big picture: Voters across Miami-Dade County headed to the polls Tuesday to elect new leaders and consider referendums.

Miami Beach: Meiner received about 52% of the vote Tuesday compared to about 48% for Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez.

• Public safety issues dominated the campaign.

Meiner — who was elected mayor in 2023 — campaigned on his "law and order" record — cracking down on spring break chaos and homelessness, and increasing municipal misdemeanor prosecutions.

• "My commitment remains to make Miami Beach the best and safest city in America," he says in a campaign video, "where residents come first, always."
• Meiner has said he's prioritizing public safety and police visibility, while working to protect the city from flooding with infrastructure improvements.

Between the lines: Last year, he left his job as a lawyer at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after the Miami Herald reported on sexual harassment claims made against Meiner by former colleagues. (He has denied the allegations)

• A staunch supporter of Israel, Meiner sparked backlash last March for attempting to evict city tenant O Cinema for showing a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Flashback: Meiner defeated Rosen Gonzalez in a 2019 City Commission race.

Meanwhile, three Miami Beach City Commission seats were also up for grabs: Incumbent commissioners Laura Dominguez and Alex Fernandez were cruising to re-election Tuesday night, per preliminary results.

• The Group 1 commission race appears headed to a runoff after none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote.
• The leading vote-getters Tuesday night were Monica Matteo-Salinas and Monique Pardo Pope.