Thirteen candidates are vying for Miami mayor. See the full list
Miami could see its most competitive mayoral race in more than two decades, with a whopping 13 candidates vying for mayor and 11 others running for city commissioner in the city’s Nov. 4 election.
The candidate list was made official after qualifying closed at 6 p.m. Saturday. The roster includes a county commissioner, former city commissioners and two former mayors who previously faced off in the city’s 1997 election, which was later overturned because of ballot fraud.
Here’s a look at the candidates who are officially running for Miami mayor and city commissioner this November.
Joe Carollo
The current District 3 commissioner and former Miami mayor submitted his candidate paperwork with just a few hours to go before qualifying closed Saturday, officially ending months of will-he-won’t-he speculation about the veteran politician’s plans.
On Saturday, Carollo said his latest mayoral bid will be his last run for public office.
“This is it,” Carollo said. “And I’m doing it for the city. Not for me.”
He also pledged to have no outside employment if elected mayor.
November’s mayoral race may be the most competitive since 2001 when Carollo, the incumbent at the time, lost to Manny Diaz.
Emilio González
Former city manager and retired U.S. Army colonel Emilio González is also in the race. González raised his profile this summer when he sued the city after the commission voted 3-2 to postpone the election to 2026 as part of an effort to switch from odd- to even-year elections. As a result of his lawsuit, two courts found the city’s legislation to be unconstitutional, effectively reverting the election to this year.
González was the city’s top administrator from 2018 to early 2020. Before becoming city manager, González was appointed by former Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez to be director of Miami International Airport. He was also the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under President George W. Bush. He is now a partner at a California-based asset management company.
Eileen Higgins
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins was one of the earliest entries in the race, filing her initial candidate paperwork in April. She had just begun another four-year term on the County Commission after cruising to reelection without opposition last year.
In a campaign video released this week, Higgins said that as mayor, she would invest in housing to help make the city more affordable, strengthen public safety, clean up parks and restore transparency “so people can trust their government.”
Last month, Higgins announced that she submitted her letter of resignation as county commissioner in accordance with Florida’s resign to run law. Her resignation goes into effect Nov. 5.
Alex Díaz de la Portilla
Former District 1 Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla submitted his qualifying paperwork Saturday.
“I’m super excited,” he said at City Hall. ”I’m gonna win. I’ll be the next mayor. Get ready for the race.”
Díaz de la Portilla served as a state representative and senator in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was elected to the Miami City Commission in 2019. Asked what his platform for mayor will be, Díaz de la Portilla responded: “The one I’ve had for 25 years. ... A long history of good service to this community. Born and raised in Miami, clearly.”
Díaz de la Portilla’s bid for mayor is his first real attempt to reenter city politics after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him from office in 2023 amid money laundering and bribery charges that were later dropped.
Ken Russell
Ken Russell was the first prominent candidate to enter the mayor’s race, filing his initial candidate paperwork in March.
Russell was first elected to the Miami City Commission in 2015 as the District 2 commissioner. At the time, Russell was considered a “dark horse” candidate whose win came as a shock. Russell went on to be reelected in 2019, leaving office nearly a year before his term was up after an unsuccessful run for Congress.
Russell’s platform includes reform proposals like increasing the size of the City Commission from five commissioners to seven. He was also a vocal critic of the city’s efforts to postpone the election to 2026.
Xavier Suarez
Xavier Suarez, a former county commissioner, is seeking to succeed his son, Francis, in office.
Suarez made history in 1985 when he became the city’s first Cuban-born mayor. He was reelected to a two-year term in 1987 and then to a four-year term in 1989.
His decision to run sets him up for a rematch against Carollo. During the 1997 mayoral race, Carollo, the incumbent, initially lost to Suarez. But the election was overturned because of ballot fraud, and Carollo was declared the winner the following year.
Francis Suarez, the current mayor, has held the position since 2017. He’s termed out at the end of this year.
Seven more mayoral candidates
Rounding out the baker’s dozen of mayoral candidates are: Laura Anderson, Elijah John Bowdre, Christian E. Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Kenneth James Desantis, Michael A. Hepburn, June Savage.
District 3
With Carollo termed out following two consecutive terms as city commissioner, his District 3 seat is now open.
Eight candidates are officially vying to succeed him, including Carollo’s younger brother, Frank Carollo, who previously held the District 3 seat from 2009 to 2017.
“I’m looking forward to coming back and lowering the temperature of the City Commission,” Carollo said Saturday morning.
Asked if he plans to campaign with his brother, Frank Carollo said he wasn’t even sure if his brother was officially running.
“We are two individual persons,” Frank Carollo said.
He will face off against Oscar Elio Alejandro, Yvonne Alexandria Bayona, Brenda Maribel Betancourt, Rolando Escalona, Denise Galvez Turros, Robert Franklin (Rob) Piper III and Fayez Tanous.
District 5
Commissioner Christine King is seeking reelection to the District 5 seat. The incumbent commissioner will face off against two challengers: Marion K. Brown and Frederick Bryant.
King, an attorney, was first elected in 2021. Her district includes Little Haiti, Liberty City, Overtown and Wynwood. She currently serves as chairwoman of the City Commission.
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 6:20 PM.
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