Running for public office in Miami-Dade? You best listen to calls for change | Editorial
It’s a new world, and local political candidates need to make their case that they can lead through change.
The window to qualify to run for public office in Miami-Dade County closed on Monday, with about 50 candidates hoping to become a judge, county commissioner, School Board member, property appraiser, state senator, state attorney, county mayor or congressional representative.
But something transformative has happened since many of these candidates first threw their hats into the ring — some as early as last year
There are new issues that voters should insist the candidates address. What’s their stance on police brutality, and how will they use their elected position to address it? If they believe black lives matter, will they advocate for police reforms once they’re in office? Who will be bold enough to advocate for putting people’s health and well-being first and support another lockdown should a second wave of the coronavirus wash over us?
The world has changed dramatically in less than six months, and the idea of serving the public is being revolutionized, first in light of the coronavirus pandemic and quarantine and now with the call from across the country and South Florida for true social justice reform, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
To be implemented, all proposed reforms must pass through a courtroom, a commission, a school board, the state legislature or even Congress. In other words, the first batch of candidates under the proposed new social order must recognize that they have to upgrade and rejigger their stump speeches.
For judicial candidates, whose races have always been quieter and more respectful, questions are often centered on courtroom management and temperament. We suspect that Floyd’s death will give rise to a new type of courtroom, one hopefully more equitable and monitored by activists who are already moving indoors from the streets to keep tabs on the institutions that too often perpetuate inequity.
Across the country, deeply concerned citizens rightly know that the justice system is not impartial, that it comes down more harshly on black and brown defendants. Judicial candidates are prohibited from addressing these issues with specificity, which is why voters must do their homework in advance, and watch for news stories and recommendations, especially in the Herald, check out candidates’ Bar Association ratings and attend any virtual meet-and-greets with the candidates. Do incumbents really treat every defendant equally? Do they promote racist or sexist stereotypes from the bench?
The race for Miami-Dade state attorney, too, might end up attracting more attention, as veteran State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle faces Melba Pearson, an African-American attorney who was an assistant state attorney under Fernandez Rundle for 15 years, before becoming the deputy director of the ACLU of Florida. Fernandez Rundle likely will be asked more pointedly about her criticized record on prosecuting police officers for excessive force. Monday, Black Lives Matter demonstrators gathered outside the Metro Justice Building, where her office is located.
County Commission candidates will have to add these issues of equity in addressing residents’ day-to-day concerns about transportation, the environment, affordable housing, crime and green space.
And, of course, all those, protesters, the same residents who swear there must be a “new normal” after such a disquieting six months, cannot themselves go back to business as usual and fail to cast a ballot.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 6:00 AM.