MIAMI, Fla. – The Miami-Dade County mayoral runoff began in earnest not even 24 hours after the two candidates were chosen. In the end it came down to half a percent between the two most partisan candidates. This in a county that usually splits along both ethnic and party lines. The Miami-Dade County Mayor is a non-partisan position.
Daniella Levine Cava is the South Dade Commissioner and champion for social services who is campaigning to undo inequalities.
"Our values are on the ballot; make no mistake about it," Cava said Tuesday night after learning of making to the next step to be mayor of Miami-Dade County.
Esteban "Steve" Bovo, the fiscal watchdog commissioner from Hialeah, is campaigning on Republican credentials.
"We reconfirm that we will make this about the taxpayers," Bovo said.
On the County Commission, Bovo and Levine Cava are frequently opposed on matters of development and spending.
"We will never defund the police department," Bovo promised his supporters Tuesday night.
In a sign of the times, the moderate candidate, former county Mayor Alex Penelas, could not hold a middle. He had the bankroll and expectations of making the runoff. One of his ads ran on television the morning after his loss because he had already bought the airtime in hopes he would be a contender.
There are so many questions to answer in this race in the next couple of months, including who will Alex Penelas’ voters and no party voters pick for Miami-Dade County Mayor?