Meet the candidates for Miami-Dade Commission
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
The primary elections are upon us.
Why it matters: Miami-Dade County voters will elect county commissioners and school board members, while city of Miami voters will decide on the future of Miami Marine Stadium.
Dates to know: The vote-by-mail ballot request deadline is Aug. 6. (Request one here.)
- Early voting runs from Aug. 3-16.
- Election Day is Aug. 18.
Here are the candidates for Miami-Dade Commission (all races are non-partisan):
District 2: Incumbent Marleine Bastien faces Ernst Jean Louis and Miguel "Skip" Quintero to represent a district that includes portions of the city of Miami, Hialeah and North-Dade.
- Bastien, in office since 2022, has supported the county's eviction diversion program, the construction of new affordable housing and a resident civics program.
- Quintero, a performing artist who founded a circus arts school, has said if elected he would install a camera in his office with a 24-7 video and audio feed to promote transparency in politics.
- Louis, who founded a Creole-language newspaper, per the Miami Herald, does not appear to have a campaign website.
District 5: Incumbent Vicki Lopez, who was appointed last year to succeed now-Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins, is facing off against Rob Piper and Joe Sanchez to represent a district that includes downtown Miami and Brickell, along with parts of Miami Beach, Little Havana and other neighborhoods.
- Lopez, a former state representative who spearheaded the Live Local Act and condo safety rules, is running on building affordable housing, investing in senior programming and supporting small businesses.
- Piper, a former state House staff member, is campaigning on housing affordability and income inequality, proposing a 1% tax on luxury development.
- Sanchez, a former city of Miami commissioner, is focused on public safety, transparency and affordability. He wants to incentivize landlords to charge affordable rents, among other proposals.
District 8: Incumbent Danielle Cohen Higgins faces John Edward DuBois and Martha "Vega" Hero to represent Southeastern Miami-Dade County, including Kendall and Palmetto Bay.
- Cohen Higgins, who has been in office since 2020, lists her accomplishments as helping create the Bus Rapid Transit system on the South Dade Transitway, upholding the Urban Development Boundary and championing the creation of new affordable housing.
- DuBois, the former vice mayor of Palmetto Bay, supports building new attainable housing, bringing more jobs to South Dade and ensuring infrastructure is funded in conjunction with new development.
- Hero, a social services administrator and CEO of National Community Services, is running on property tax relief for seniors, streamlined business permitting and public safety.