Robert Stephens III, 26, becomes youngest member of Miami Gardens City Council
Robert Stephens III will fill the vacated at-large seat 6 in Miami Gardens after a nearly unanimous council vote of approval.
The City Council appointed Stephens on Tuesday night following a 5-1 vote in his favor. Only Councilwoman Lillie Q. Odom dissented.
“Thank you to Mr. Mayor and the council for allowing me the opportunity to serve our city on a greater scale,” Stephens, who, at age 26, is the city’s youngest councilmember, said via Zoom.
Stephens will replace Councilman Erhabor Ighodaro, who recently lost the Senate District 35 Democratic primary to State Rep. Shevrin Jones. This appointment also means that Stephens forfeited his candidacy for the residential council seat 1. His opponent, Shannon Campbell, will automatically win her bid.
The city received 29 letters of interest for the vacated position, according to Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert III. Gilbert narrowed his list to five candidates before finally nominating Stephens, saying that previous experience, community service and vision for the city played into his decision.
“I valued people who had run for office previously because getting appointed is great but [it’s better] if you’re willing to actually go out there and talk to people about your ideas,” Gilbert said.
The founding pastor of The Grace Center in Miami Gardens, Stephens ran for council seat 1 on a platform that promised better educational opportunities, reduced crime rates and improved community engagement with youth. He also co-founded The Change Makers Academy, an organization devoted to helping at-risk students.
Stephens will serve the remaining two years of Ighodaro’s term before having to run again, Gilbert said.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
