MIAMI — Black leaders in Miami-Dade County are split over support for the two candidates who are seeking to become the new mayor in a run-off election slated for Tuesday.
Hialeah’s former Mayor Julio Robaina, who emerged from the primary as the front-runner with 34 percent of the vote, lists among his supporters Bishop Victor T. Curry of New Birth Baptist Cathedral International and mayors Shirley Gibson of Miami Gardens, Myra Taylor of Opa-locka, Otis Wallace of Florida City and former Mayor Roscoe Warren of Homestead, along with defeated candidate Luther Campbell.
Carlos Gimenez, who trailed Robaina in the primary with 29 percent of the votes cast, lists retired Congresswoman Carrie Meek in his corner, along with defeated candidates Wilbur Bell and Eddie Lewis, Miami Gardens City Commissioner Andre Williams, North Miami Councilman Jacques Despinosse and the Caribbean-American Politically Active Citizens.
A recent Miami Herald poll showed Gimenez, a former fire chief, Miami city manager and Miami-Dade Commissioner, leading Robaina, former mayor of Hialeah, by 11 points going into the runoff.
The Miami-Dade County Elections Department said Wednesday was the last day for voters to request absentee ballots to be mailed to their homes and about 60,000 ballots had already been received. Those who still have to submit absentee ballots have until 7 p.m. Election Day, June 28, to submit them.
Early voting is still underway between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. through Saturday. Voters may go to any of 20 voting sites around the county to cast early ballots. Locations are available on the Elections Department’s website.
For more information, visit www.miamidade.gov/elections or call 3-1-1.
Photo: Julio Robaina
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