Christine King wins reelection as Miami’s District 5 commissioner
Christine King was elected to a second term as Miami’s District 5 commissioner on Tuesday night, winning over 84% of the vote, according to preliminary election night results.
She faced off against challengers Marion K. Brown, a construction executive, and Frederick Bryant, a retired teacher and community activist.
King, an attorney, was first elected in 2021 to represent the district, which includes Little Haiti, Liberty City, Overtown and Wynwood. She’s served as chairwoman of the City Commission, created the First-time Homebuyer Program, which provides financing and down payment assistance to first-time homeowners, and hosts “Constituent Tuesdays” where residents can meet with her face-to-face on a regular basis.
King, who was born in Guyana, was one of two commissioners this summer to vote against Miami entering into an immigration enforcement agreement with ICE, saying at the time that: “I feel the pain of my residents, afraid to leave their homes, afraid to get medical attention for their children. And I don’t want to be a part of that. I think we are on the wrong side if we enter into this agreement.”
King also faced scrutiny during her first term on the commission, co-sponsoring a controversial proposal to create lifetime pensions for the city’s elected officials. The commission approved the proposal 3-2, but Mayor Francis Suarez later vetoed it. King landed in hot water during the pension saga when she explained her rationale for not wanting to send the proposal to voters, describing residents as “M&Ms: mean and miserable.”
“I would not leave my livelihood up to voters like that,” King said at the time. She later defended her comments.
This year, King voted in support of an ordinance that initially postponed the November election to 2026 to align the city with an even-year election cycle. Two courts blocked the city’s effort this summer, deeming the ordinance “unconstitutional.”
King also voted against creating lifetime term limits for elected officials — a proposal that went to voters in the form of a ballot referendum Tuesday night.
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