Christine King bests incumbent Jeffrey Watson in Miami District 5 commission race
In a race defined by rescinded promises, accusations of illicit campaigning and numerous candidates, Christine King emerged as voters’ overwhelming favorite to represent Miami’s District 5 seat on the City Commission.
King easily won the race to represent Miami’s only predominately Black district, easily beating incumbent Jeffrey Watson and five other candidates.
“This win is our win,” King said to a crowd of about 70 people gathered at her campaign headquarters in Liberty City. “This win is about team King and the real winner is the community.”
As King strolled to the podium to address the audience, McFadden and Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” blared from the speakers. The dancing, eating and reveling gave way to thunderous applause as her supporters made their way to the stage to catch a glimpse of their future commissioner.
“We’ve taken so many hits for wanting to do what is right for our community,” King told the audience. “But we are not going to stop. I said it before and I’m going to say it again: I am beholden to the community.”
Among the crowd was Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, one of King’s earliest supporters. The former holder of that District 5 seat, Hardemon stepped down from the position during his county commission bid. He forecast the future relationship between the county and the city as something that “will move the community forward.”
The relationship will yield “projects that need the city and county approval moving faster, more resources being dedicated to the people who live in our jurisdiction,” continued Hardemon.
News of King’s impending victory didn’t go over well just three blocks down the street where Watson and a group of his supporters awaited the results. The first dump of votes came in shortly before the commissioner’s arrival, causing a collective sigh among the small group present. Watson, however, said he was grateful for the opportunity to serve his community, saying that more people know how local government works thanks to him.
“I feel good about my service and what I did and every part of this district I touched,” Watson said. “When you do the best you can, that’s all you can feel.”
Watson was appointed to the the District 5 seat in November 2020. After initially pledging to sit out the election cycle, he entered the race in mid-September.
Prior to Watson’s entry, King was believed to be the front runner in the District 5 race. An attorney and CEO of the nonprofit Martin Luther King Jr. Economic Development Corporation, King received endorsements from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Hardemon. The Guyana-born, Liberty City-raised King had by far the largest war chest of the candidates, with about $500,000 raised.
Just days before the election, the Miami Herald reported that at least two city employees used city-issued cars to campaign for King. City employees are barred from using resources to campaign for a candidate.
King denied coordinating campaign activity with city employees in an interview with the Miami Herald. She also accused Watson, who reported the allegations, of hypocrisy, saying he’d arrived at a candidates forum only days earlier in a city vehicle.
A total of seven candidates vied for the District 5 seat. Michael A. Hepburn led all other challengers, followed by Stephanie S. Thomas, Francois Alexandre, Zico Fremont and Revran Shoshana Lincoln.
District 5, which includes neighborhoods like Overtown, Liberty City and Little Haiti, faces hardships similar to other primarily Black areas across the country. Gentrification looms at almost every corner. More affordable housing is needed. And jobs are lacking. Addressing these issues is among her many priorities as commissioner.
“I look forward to serving and being your servant,” she said before stepping down from the stage to a wealth of flashing cameras, toothy smiles and congratulatory hugs.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 10:39 PM.
