A little over a month from Miami’s General Election, the political arm of South Florida’s longest-serving LGBTQ rights group is throwing its support behind two Democrats running for separate city offices.
SAVE Action PAC[1], associated with Miami-based SAVE[2], is endorsing Eileen Higgins for Mayor and Rob Piper for the City Commission’s Group 3 seat.
SAVE Executive Director Todd Delmay said “Miami is at a crossroads’ and needs “bold leadership to address housing costs, corruption, and the climate challenges we face.”
“Eileen and Rob are ready to meet this moment,” he said in a statement. “They understand that equality must be at the center of every solution, and they will fight for a city where everyone can thrive.”
Delmay said Higgins, the Miami-Dade County Commission’s longest-serving current member, has “shown up time and again” for residents.
“Her commitment and connection to the community are unmatched — when she makes promises, she follows through, and we’ve seen her stand with us in office,” he said.
“From expanding affordable housing to protecting LGBTQ rights, she brings both vision and proven experience. Miami would be fortunate to have her as mayor, because we know she will remain true to her values even once elected, and the people of Miami need that leadership right now.”
Delmay also lauded Piper’s “dedication to transparency and civic engagement,” which he said “will help restore trust in city government and ensure that every community has a voice at City Hall.”
A SAVE press note said the SAVE Action PAC’s endorsement process is “rigorous, involving candidate questionnaires and interviews with a diverse panel of community leaders.”
Endorsements are only given to candidates who “demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting civil rights, supporting inclusive policies, and representing the best interests of Miami residents,” the group said.
Higgins is one of 13 candidates[3] running to succeed term-limited Mayor Francis Suarez.
Other Democrats in the race include former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, Ellijah Bowdre and Michael Hepburn.
Republicans running for Mayor include Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, former Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, former City Manager Emilio González, Christian Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker and June Savage.
Candidates Laura Anderson, Kenneth DeSantis and former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez, who previously served as a Miami-Dade Commissioner and is the current Mayor’s father, have no party affiliation.
Higgins also carries endorsements from Miami Gardens Sen. Shevrin Jones, Miami Rep. Ashley Gantt, LiUNA Local 1652[4], SEIU 32BJ[5], Equality Florida Action PAC[6], EMILY’s List[7] and Ruth’s List Florida[8].
Franklin, a retired member of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces South and longtime Miami resident, faces seven others[9] running to replace Carollo, including one other Democrat: Oscar Alejandro.
Republicans Yvonne Bayona, Brenda Betancourt, Rolando Escalona, Denise Turros, Fayez Tanous and Frank Carollo — a former City Commissioner and the brother of the seat’s current occupant — are running too.
Miami’s elections are technically nonpartisan.
The General Election is Nov. 4.
If no candidate in a given race receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff.
References
- ^ SAVE Action PAC (actionpac.save.lgbt)
- ^ SAVE (www.save.lgbt)
- ^ 13 candidates (www.voterfocus.com)
- ^ LiUNA Local 1652 (www.liunalocal1652.org)
- ^ SEIU 32BJ (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ Equality Florida Action PAC (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ EMILY’s List (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ Ruth’s List Florida (ruthslistfl.org)
- ^ seven others (www.voterfocus.com)