Majority on Miami-Dade commission up for grabs as Higgins confirms Congress run

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins announced Thursday she will run in the Democratic primary for the seat held by Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, clearing the way for an August county commission election to fill her seat on a board where Democrats hold a narrow majority.

“I hear every day how Congress is broken, and residents see how partisan fights and personal agendas are at the forefront while problem-solving and addressing the challenges neighborhoods face are ignored,” Higgins said in an announcement released as she attended a morning commission meeting.

The Higgins announcement confirmed news that broke over the weekend that she was ready to give up her seat after four years on the board and run in the Democratic primary in Florida’s 27th Congressional District to challenge Salazar, a first-term Republican.

By running for Congress, Higgins likely will trigger an August election for her commission seat in District 5, which includes parts of Miami and Miami Beach. That would put a majority of seats on the 13-member commission up for grabs this year, with August elections already scheduled for the even-numbered districts of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12.

In an interview Thursday, Higgins said she plans to remain as the District 5 commissioner for as long as the law allows. “My intention would be to stay on until January,” she said.

That timeline means an August election for her District 5 seat. By resigning her seat months in advance, Higgins would trigger an August election for the remaining two years of her term, with the winner taking office once the Higgins resignation takes effect.

Should Higgins opt to resign immediately, the remaining commissioners could call a special election to fill the District 5 seat or appoint someone to the position.

Higgins’ entry in the congressional race means well-funded competition for Ken Russell, the Miami commissioner who recently dropped his U.S. Senate bid to run in the District 27 Democratic primary.

It also means a potential power shift on the commission, where Higgins is a top ally of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and is one of seven Democrats on the 13-seat board. County offices are officially nonpartisan, with all candidates competing in the same primary and party affiliations are not listed on the ballot for commission races.

On Thursday, Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson, a Democrat, sent an email to supporters saying he was suspending his campaign for the Florida House to prepare for a possible District 5 run for the Higgins seat. “I will make a formal decision on a potential county commission race as we learn more about the potential for a special election,” he said.

The county charter provision calling for a quick election to replace a commissioner running for another office does not apply to Miami offices. City commissioners can appoint a Russell replacement next year or fill the seat with a special election.

Higgins first won the District 5 commission seat in 2018 when the incumbent, Bruno Barreiro, also resigned to run for Congress and lost the Republican primary to Salazar. Salazar went on to lose to retired University of Miami President Donna Shalala, whom Salazar then unseated in a 2020 rematch.

This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 12:24 PM.