Miami's mayoral race has it all: Indictments, dynasties and Trump's shadow
MIAMI — The city set to host Donald Trump’s future presidential library is also home to the hottest election in Florida — a 13-way mayoral brawl that could test whether Democrats have any pulse left in the state.
Miami voters head to the polls Nov. 4 in a race likely headed for a December runoff, pitting MAGA-aligned candidates determined to extend Trump’s influence in South Florida against Democrats trying to claw back relevance in a deep-red state.
The election has received far less attention than the mayoral contest in New York City or the governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey. But it’s laced with gripping storylines: indictments, dynasties, savage one-liners, taxpayer-funded lawsuits and even a court-thwarted effort to push the election back a year — a move that would have allowed current officeholders to blow through term limits. Some rivals openly show their disdain for each other. Others accuse fellow candidates of wanting the job as a stepladder or grift.
Miami is flush with money and ambition — and dysfunction. Booming post-pandemic growth has drawn a wave of newcomers, driving up costs and straining longtime residents. For some, the election feels like a referendum on whether the city can stay livable while it keeps cashing in on its reinvention.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/28/miami-mayor-election-trump-maga-00624245