Vice Mayor Rodney Harris to succeed Oliver Gilbert as mayor of Miami Gardens
Vice Mayor Rodney Harris emerged as the winner in the runoff for Miami Gardens mayor.
With all 31 precincts counted, Harris bested Florida House Rep. Sharon Pritchett and will succeed the term-limited Mayor Oliver Gilbert, who won the race for the District 1 seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission in August.
Harris’ election begins a new chapter in the young city’s 17-year history. Miami Gardens’ first two mayors — Shirley Gibson and Gilbert — transformed the city into a thriving epicenter for Dade’s Black middle class. Continuing that economic prosperity was a big driver for many voters and a priority for Harris, along with public safety and helping children.
“It’s a humbling experience,” Harris said after winning the election. “…. I’m just trying to absorb the fact that this little boy who grew up in Liberty City is now the mayor of the third-largest city in Miami-Dade County.”
A Miami-Dade native and non-partisan candidate, Harris, 54, steps into the role following eight years on Miami Gardens City Council. After winning his first race for City Council Seat 3 in 2012 , he was reelected in 2016 and subsequently chosen as vice mayor. He previously worked as a senior juvenile probation officer in Florida and football coach for his alma mater Miami Northwestern. He has lived in Miami Gardens for the past 20 years.
Harris picked up key endorsements from Gilbert, Miami Gardens Councilman Robert Stephens III and the Miami-Dade Clergy Coalition en route to winning the mayoral race — despite trailing Pritchett in fundraising. The last available campaign reports showed Harris had raised about $56,000 as of Oct. 29, while Pritchett received roughly $85,000 in campaign contributions.
In the end, Harris’ believes being relatable played a major role in his victory.
“My first race that I ran as a candidate for councilperson, I had a slogan that said ‘I’m not just your candidate, I’m your neighbor’ and that’s what I am,” Harris said.
One of the architects of Miami Gardens’ 2003 incorporation, Pritchett’s career in politics began when she was elected to its first city council. By 2012, she had won the Florida House race for 102 District, which encompasses Miami Gardens, Miramar and Pembroke Pines. She previously served in the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Investigative Office for nearly three decades, reaching the position of chief investigator.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and community activist Sybrina Fulton all endorsed the Democrat Pritchett, 69. Still, she faced an uphill battle after picking up only 33% of votes in the primary while Harris secured 42%.
Despite Pritchett’s extensive political career and endorsements from some key players in Miami Gardens, some voters expressed concern that she wouldn’t be as attuned to the future as Harris.
“I’m a little concerned that [Pritchett’s] policies would be geared towards more of the senior population,” said voter Janéy Tate, 32. “I just want to see the city continue to move forward with all of the development and I’m not sure she has the energy or that she really wants to do that.”
That perception didn’t matter to 62-year-old Darrell Rollins, who said he voted for Pritchett after meeting her several years ago during her reelection for the Florida House.
“I liked the conversation we had,” Rollins added.
Other Miami Gardens races
The city council will also have two new faces: Linda Julien in the At-Large Seat 5 and Shannan “Lady” Ighodaro in the district-specific Seat 3.
Julien bested André Williams in a hotly contested race. She will replace Councilman David Williams Jr., who fell short in his bid for Pritchett’s vacated Florida House seat.
Ighodaro, the wife of former Miami Gardens councilman Erhabor Ighodaro, edged out Patricia Wright by a wide margin. She will succeed Harris.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 10:00 PM.
