On Sunday, October 5, the Coconut Grove Democrats and the Miami-Dade Democratic Party co-hosted a mayoral candidate forum at St. James Baptist Church. With early voting just weeks away, the event gave voters a chance to hear directly from the four Democratic candidates for City of Miami Mayor: Ken Russell, Eileen Higgins, Michael Hepburn, and Elijah John Bowdre. The forum was moderated by Coconut Grove Spotlight editor Don Finefrock.

The evening centered on the biggest challenges facing Miami — housing affordability, climate resilience, economic opportunity, and restoring public trust in city leadership.

This is a critical time at the local, state, and federal levels for decisions relating to how government functions, how it is funded, and where the true interests of the public lie. When emotions and rhetoric run high, it is essential to cut through to what each of the three branches of government–executive, legislative, judicial–are actually doing, and focus on how governmental actions affect our freedoms, our pocketbooks, and our families. Here, in brief, is an outline of recent and anticipated policy decisions.

Bob Remmen has devoted his life to service—first to his country, then to his community, and now to strengthening democracy through political engagement. The disputed 2000 presidential election inspired Bob to get more deeply involved in politics, and he has since been an active member of the DEC.

The Energizer Bunny would drop in exhaustion if it had to keep up with Manny Fernandez. He’s a full-time junior majoring in history at FIU. He serves as Chair of the DEC Interclub Council Committee and as the Communications Committee member responsible for posting on the DEC Instagram account. He gives advice on procedural matters as Parliamentarian of the Kendall Dems. And, to top it all off, at age 20, he is very likely the youngest elected official in Miami-Dade County. Yes, call him the Honorable Manny Fernandez, elected unopposed in August 2024 as the Community Council 11 member representing Subarea 116.

The Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee joins with all those who honor the courage and grit of civil rights pioneers in mourning the passing of longtime DEC member Dr. Mae Christian (1945-2025).

Dr. Christian, recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal in 2016 for her contributions as a “Foot Soldier” during the 1965 Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, was selected as a Floor Whip during the 2008 and 2012 National Democratic Conventions. Locally, she played an active role in community affairs and in Democratic Party leadership, serving at one time as President of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Black Caucus.

On Sunday, September 14th, I joined Glenna Milberg for This Week in South Florida alongside my Republican counterpart. The segment was meant to focus on something critically important: toning down the divisive, polarizing, and all too often dehumanizing rhetoric that has become pervasive in our politics, especially as political violence escalates across the country.

That’s why I invited my counterpart to join me in a joint statement condemning political violence and inflammatory rhetoric. Because words matter. Words can save lives, or they can end them.

WATCH THE VIDEO OF CHAIR KELLEY ON THIS WEEK IN SOUTH FLORIDA

By Nancy Lawther, Ph.D., DEC Legislative Liaison Chair

COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL:

“Alligator Alcatraz”: Citing an executive order signed in 2023, the administration of Governor DeSantis abruptly seized control of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport and hastily transformed it into a migrant detention center for up to 3000 detainees. The facility is being used to showcase the Governor’s support for the Trump Administration’s plans to deport massive numbers of immigrants. It was built over the immediate and vociferous objections of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Native American community leaders, and numerous environmental and human rights organizations concerned about damage to environmentally sensitive Everglades lands and mistreatment of detainees.