Miami-Dade County voters will decide in a special election Tuesday who among 11 candidates will be the next mayor of Florida’s largest county.
The contenders include former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther “Luke” Campbell and Carlos Gimenez, who resigned from the County Commission to seek the post.
A candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to win the seat outright. If there is no clear winner, the top two candidates will face each other in a June 28 runoff election.
Two commission seats also are on the ballot.
The special election was required when former Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas were ousted in a recall election earlier this year. Both had voted to support a tax increase for the current budget that gave raises to employees.
The second commission seat on next week’s ballot will replace Gimenez, who was required to step down to run for mayor.
Four charter amendment questions are also on the ballot, including one that asks voters if they want to undo the “strong mayor” form of government they approved in 2007. If it passes, the government would be administered by an appointed county manager.
Another charter amendment proposal asks voters if they want full-time, rather than part-time, elected commissioners. If voters approve the job description change, commissioners’ pay would increase to $92,000 from $6,000.
