Editorial / District 2 Special Election
Last Call
The Special Election for Miami City Commissioner is Monday February 27. Exercise the right to VOTE or just complain thereafter.
Downtown Miami has the chance and responsibility to elect a city commissioner who will make Downtown Miami a priority. Why a responsibility? The Greater Downtown is the leading economic and population force within District 2, representing the highest tax base in the entire city as well as 110,000+ residents, but Coconut Grove politicians have monopolized political power.
Hence, the relationship between former District 2 commissioners and Downtown can be summarized in one word: NEGLECT. “Horizontal communities project an inflated reality in contrast to vertical ones,” said a Brickell neighbor. “But four or five urban high-rises account for more people than most horizontal neighborhoods. It’s time to demand prioritizing the urban core.”
Endorsements
The Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA) has endorsed James Torres. The DNA is the most important civic organization in the Downtown proper, which extends from the Miami River north through the Central Business District, the Miami Worldcenter, and the Park West enclave — across the worldclass FROST and PAMM museums — to the Arsht Center. The Downtown Neighbors Alliance’s endorsement reads in part: “Through his years of dedicated community service, James Torres has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to our Downtown community. In addition, James has a proven track record of working tirelessly to promote and support initiatives that benefit our community, including advocating for improving our local infrastructure, noise, and light pollution, public safety, and chronic homelessness, to name a few.”
The Miami Herald also endorsed Downtowner James Torres: “Torres wasn’t the only candidate who impressed us during interviews, but the depth of his civic engagement and experience in dealing with City Hall have prepared him to step into this role as the commission begins preparing the city’s next budget. Torres, 51, has lived in Miami for 10 years. He said he became involved because, surprisingly, downtown has been treated as an afterthought.”
Other leading candidates have important endorsements. Sabina Covo was endorsed by former Commissioner Ken Russell, and the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. Eddy Leal got the endorsement of One Grove, a coalition of community involved civic leaders and activists that, according to Political Cortadito, organized in response to the city’s controversial redistricting process. Martin Zilber got the endorsement of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, the Miami Association of Realtors, South Florida AFL-CIO, United Faculty of Miami Dade College and local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Miami Association of Firefighters and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, according to Florida Politics. He was also endorsed by three commissioners, Joe Carollo, Christine King and Alex Diaz De la Portilla. Other candidates, Max Martinez and Christi Tasker, for example, take pride in not having ties to the establishment, and count on their independence to fully commit to District 2.
Non-partisan election
This is not about Republicans or Democrats, what’s at stake here is your neighborhood. Vote your quality of life, your safety, your streets, vote for better infrastructure, schools, opportunities to prosper, responsible development, solutions for the never-ending homeless problem, vote for your parks and beautiful Biscayne Bay, Miami’s main attraction, even if threatened and a bit damaged.
Last call! Last chance to demand change!
The Special Election is Monday February 27 from 7 am to 7 pm. Make an informed decision, choose the right candidate, and more important, don’t waste the right to VOTE. Political Cortadito reported this morning (Sunday) that 3,312 people had returned mail ballots and 851 voted early for a grand total of 4,066 votes. That’s about 8.2 percent of the 49,195 registered voters in District 2. Downtown alone can do better than 4,066 votes!
Candidates Explain the Job of a Commissioner
Where to vote
Check your assigned voting location on the Miami-Dade County Elections Department’s website.
