2026 Election Guide for Unincorporated Miami-Dade
Candidates, political parties, and what the ballot questions would change.
November 3, 2026 election • Research checked October 15, 2026
I put this guide together to make the candidate names, party labels, and proposed changes easier to understand. It is a nonpartisan community reference—not an endorsement of a candidate, political party, or position.
Unincorporated Miami-Dade does not have one identical ballot. Statewide and countywide choices are shared, while congressional, legislative, commission, and school-board contests depend on the relevant district. The district directory below identifies contests in the county’s composite sample ballot; it does not mean every listed race appears on every resident’s ballot.
Sources: Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot · Miami-Dade County: communities in Commission District 5
Illustrative community reference. The cover’s civic scene is conceptual—not a photograph of a government building, candidate, actual ballot, or voting location. This is an independent ChrisManzano.com publication.
Understanding the party labels
REP means Republican; DEM means Democratic; LPF means Libertarian Party of Florida; and NPA means no party affiliation. Write-in describes a candidacy category, not a political party.
For nonpartisan contests, this guide keeps the official ballot designation separate from any independently documented political affiliation. An endorsement alone does not establish party membership. Names are reproduced as identified in the official election records.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections qualified-candidate directory · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
1. Statewide candidates
United States Senate
Candidate | Ballot affiliation |
Ashley Moody | Republican |
Angie Nixon | Democratic |
Neil J. Gillespie | No party affiliation |
Governor and lieutenant governor
Governor candidate | Lieutenant governor candidate | Ballot affiliation |
Byron Donalds | Bryan Avila | Republican |
David Jolly | Gwen Graham | Democratic |
Scott Eckhard Jewett | Nicole Skelly | Libertarian |
Charles Burkett | Ruben A. Coto | No party affiliation |
Frank J. Russo | Rachel Rodriguez | No party affiliation |
Moliere “Moe” Dimanche | Benjiman Rojas | No party affiliation |
Dean Ocean Abrams | Joe Van Vactor | No party affiliation |
Jeffrey Peter “Dr. Jeff” Datto | Juan Santana | No party affiliation |
The state also lists two qualified write-in tickets: Kathy Anderson / Daniel Nokovich and Erik Morris / LeRoy Alaways. Their names are not printed as individual choices in the sample ballot.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections governor candidate records · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
Other statewide offices
Office | Republican candidate | Democratic candidate |
Attorney General | James Uthmeier | Jose Javier Rodriguez |
Chief Financial Officer | Blaise Ingoglia | Annette Taddeo |
Commissioner of Agriculture | Wilton Simpson | Joey Mendoza Atkins |
Kyle “KC” Gibson is additionally listed by the state as a qualified write-in candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture.
Sources: Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot · Kyle “KC” Gibson: official candidate record
2. Congressional and state legislative races
District-specific: not every race in this section appears on every ballot.
United States House of Representatives
District 24: Te Mayonna Brown — Republican; Oliver G. Gilbert III — Democratic.
District 25: Scott Singer — Republican; Jared Moskowitz — Democratic; Peter Jassenoff — Libertarian.
District 26: Mario Diaz-Balart — Republican; Nicole Locklin — Democratic; Deborah Ann Meidinger Hosey — No party affiliation.
District 27: Maria Elvira Salazar — Republican; Eliott Rodriguez — Democratic.
District 28: Carlos A. Gimenez — Republican; Phil “Felipe” Ehr — Democratic; Eddy Rojas — No party affiliation.
Qualified write-in candidates are Patricia Gonzalez in District 24 and Michaelangelo Hamilton in District 25.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections qualified-candidate directory · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
Florida Senate
District 34: Elizabeth Jeanty — Republican; Ashley Viola Gantt — Democratic.
District 36: Ileana Garcia — Republican; George Lavín — Democratic.
District 38: Alexis Maria Calatayud — Republican; Richard Lamondin Jr. — Democratic; Jeffrey “Doc” Solomon — No party affiliation.
District 40: Ana Maria Rodriguez — Republican; Jose Antonio Stoute — Democratic; Ramiro Orta — No party affiliation.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections qualified-candidate directory · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
Florida House of Representatives
District 106: Fabián Basabe — Republican; Lucia Baez-Geller — Democratic.
District 108: Wancito Francius — Republican; Daphne Campbell — Democratic.
District 113: Bruno A. Barreiro — Republican; Gloria Romero Roses — Democratic.
District 115: Omar Blanco — Republican; Marcos Reyes — Democratic.
District 116: Ashley Perez-Biliskov — Republican; Nicolas Ramos — Democratic.
District 117: Miguel Granda — Republican; Kevin Chambliss — Democratic.
District 118: Mike Redondo — Republican; Armando “A.C.” Castillo — Democratic.
District 119: Juan Carlos Porras — Republican; Rey Lazaro Sordo — Democratic.
Paola Vazquez del Mercado is also a qualified write-in candidate in District 113. These are the contested House races shown in the November sample ballot, not a directory of every sitting state representative.
Sources: Florida Division of Elections qualified-candidate directory · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot · Paola Vazquez del Mercado: official candidate record
3. County commission and school board
These are officially nonpartisan contests. The affiliations below are separately documented political backgrounds, not party labels printed beside these candidates on the ballot.
County Commission, District 5
Vicki L. Lopez: nonpartisan ballot designation; Republican affiliation documented by WLRN.
Rob Piper: nonpartisan ballot designation; Democratic affiliation documented by WLRN.
Sources: Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot · WLRN: interviews and party-affiliation reporting, October 7, 2026
District 5 includes portions of Miami and Miami Beach and unincorporated Fisher Island. That is why it belongs in this guide even though much of the district is within municipalities.
School Board, District 1
Linda Cothiere: nonpartisan ballot designation; publicly identified as a Democrat by the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
Katrina Wilson: nonpartisan ballot designation; publicly identified as a Democrat by the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
Those school-board affiliation descriptions are attributed to the party’s published guide. They are not presented as independently obtained voter-registration records. The November sample ballot, rather than the party’s earlier primary list, establishes the two current finalists.
Sources: Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot · Miami-Dade Democratic Party: published candidate identifications
4. Judicial contests
Florida Supreme Court and appellate retention
Court | Judge |
Florida Supreme Court | Carlos G. Muñiz |
Third District Court of Appeal | Kansas R. Gooden |
Third District Court of Appeal | Monica Gordo |
Third District Court of Appeal | Fleur Jeannine Lobree |
Third District Court of Appeal | Thomas Logue |
Third District Court of Appeal | Bronwyn Catherine Miller |
These are individual retention questions, not races between competing candidates. They do not carry party labels.
Eleventh Judicial Circuit
Group 5: Arthur LeMar “Marty” McNeil and Monica Segura.
Group 69: Rita Maria Baez and Bonita Jones-Peabody.
These contests are also nonpartisan. This guide does not assign judges a political party based on endorsements or the party of an appointing governor.
5. Florida constitutional amendments
The amendments themselves do not have Republican or Democratic ballot labels. All three are legislative proposals. Identifying a sponsor or legislative vote is different from claiming that every member of a political party supports a proposal. The headings below are editorial summaries; the official text controls.
Amendment 1 — Expanding the state’s budget reserve
The proposal would raise the maximum Budget Stabilization Fund balance from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections. Each year, the Legislature would transfer the lesser of $750 million or the amount needed to reach the cap, subject to stated exceptions. It would also establish an additional process for withdrawals for critical state needs.
Yes: Approves the larger reserve limit and revised transfer and withdrawal rules.
No: Leaves the existing constitutional framework in place.
Origin: Florida Legislature, HJR 5019; House sponsor Lawrence McClure. Recorded passage: House 100–1; Senate 29–4. Those totals should not be described as an exclusively one-party vote.
Sources: Florida Senate: HJR 5019 summary and recorded votes · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
Amendment 2 — A tax exemption for qualifying agricultural personal property
This proposal would exempt qualifying tangible personal property ordinarily located on agricultural land, used for agricultural production or agritourism, and owned by the landowner or leaseholder. It is not a blanket exemption for all land, buildings, or agricultural businesses. It would first apply to tax years beginning January 1, 2027.
Yes: Creates the proposed exemption.
No: Does not create this additional constitutional exemption.
Origin: Florida Legislature, CS/HJR 1215, sponsored by the House State Affairs Committee and Rep. Daniel “Danny” Alvarez. Recorded votes: House 110–1; Senate 37–0.
Sources: Florida Senate: CS/HJR 1215 summary and recorded votes · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
Amendment 3 — Larger homestead exemptions and a lower non-homestead assessment cap
This proposal combines several property-tax changes. It would increase the qualifying homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, followed by inflation adjustments.
People who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, would generally receive the existing exemption initially, with the larger exemption beginning in their fifth exemption year to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.
The proposal would also reduce the annual assessment-growth cap for non-homestead property from 10% to 5% and establish procedures for larger local exemptions.
It specifies uses of county and municipal property-tax revenue, including public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, retirement benefits, and government operations. It also allows other expenditures approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies unless prohibited by general law. The stated effective date is January 1, 2027.
Yes: Approves the combined changes.
No: Retains the existing constitutional framework.
Origin: Florida Legislature, CS/HJR 1-F, sponsored by the State Affairs Committee and Rep. Toby Overdorf. Recorded votes: House 75–26; Senate 30–9. The exemption amounts refer to assessed property value—not an equal dollar reduction in a homeowner’s tax bill.
Sources: Florida Senate: CS/HJR 1-F summary and recorded votes · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
6. Miami-Dade County charter referendums
These six questions are countywide, not municipal-only proposals. A “No” vote would decline the particular proposed charter change; it is not a vote on the other questions.
County Referendum 1 — Independent salary commission
Yes: Replace fixed commissioner salaries with a five-member independent commission that sets compensation annually using specified criteria. Its decisions could not be modified by the County Commission.
No: Keep the existing charter compensation framework.
Prime sponsor: Danielle Cohen Higgins.
Sources: County Referendum 1: adopted Resolution R-680-26 · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
County Referendum 2 — Longer candidate residency
Yes: Increase the time a County Commission candidate must have lived in the district from six months to one year before qualifying begins.
No: Keep the six-month candidate requirement.
This concerns candidates’ eligibility, not a new residency requirement for voters.
Prime sponsor: Danielle Cohen Higgins.
Sources: County Referendum 2: adopted Resolution R-681-26 · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
County Referendum 3 — Vacancy elections and qualifying periods
Yes: Allow certain mayoral and commission vacancy elections caused by resignations to run for other offices to coincide with other elections, and establish minimum municipal candidate-qualifying standards.
No: Leave those existing charter provisions unchanged.
Prime sponsor: Danielle Cohen Higgins.
Sources: County Referendum 3: final adopted Resolution R-682-26 · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
County Referendum 4 — Constitutional-office revisions
Yes: Update the charter for the reestablished elected constitutional offices, clarify county and clerk financial responsibilities, and require county employees to take leave when running for a constitutional office.
No: Decline this package of charter revisions.
Prime sponsor: Danielle Cohen Higgins.
Sources: County Referendum 4: adopted constitutional-office revisions · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
County Referendum 5 — Technical and public-notice changes
Yes: Update listed county location names, allow additional public-notice and participation methods when state law permits, and standardize certain drafting conventions.
No: Retain the existing charter wording.
This question is not merely a grammar cleanup: it also addresses public-notice and participation methods.
Prime sponsor: Danielle Cohen Higgins.
Sources: County Referendum 5: adopted Resolution R-684-26 · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
County Referendum 6 — Advertising in parks
Yes: Permit advertising in covered parks without an event or facility sponsorship connection. Advertising could not unreasonably impair park use or damage the park, and revenue would be reserved for the park system.
No: Retain the current sponsorship-related restriction.
Prime sponsor: Anthony Rodriguez.
Sources: County Referendum 6: adopted Resolution R-685-26 · Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot
Party-background disclosure: The Miami-Dade Democratic Party identifies Cohen Higgins as a Democrat. The Miami-Dade Republican Party lists Rodriguez among its Republican elected officials. These are the sponsors’ affiliations—not official party labels for the questions or proof of unanimous party support.
Sources: Miami-Dade Democratic Party: published candidate identifications · Miami-Dade Republican Party: elected officials
7. School district referendum
Renewing the existing levy for instructional compensation and school safety
The proposal would continue the existing one-mill property-tax levy for school operations, including public charter schools, from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. Stated purposes include teacher and instructional-personnel compensation, student safety, and school security, with a Citizen Advisory Committee providing oversight.
Yes: Renews the existing levy for the proposed four-year period.
No: Does not authorize that renewal.
This is a renewal of the existing levy, not a proposal to add a second one-mill levy on top of it. It is a School Board proposal, not a party-affiliated candidate contest.
A note about scope
This guide focuses on statewide, countywide, judicial, and relevant district contests. It does not present separate city elections and municipal charter questions as choices for all unincorporated residents. The Coronado Community Development District contest in the countywide sample is also outside this guide’s scope: the district’s own website places it wholly within the City of Doral.
Sources: Miami-Dade official November 2026 sample ballot · Coronado CDD: official district geography
The county’s composite sample includes multiple jurisdictions. It should not be mistaken for a personalized ballot or a claim that every contest listed here applies to one address.
Sources and transparency
Candidate and proposal information was checked against the official November sample ballot, Florida Division of Elections records, Florida Senate summaries, and adopted county resolutions. Political-party websites are used only for expressly attributed affiliation disclosures, not as neutral endorsements or as the authority for the November candidate lineup.
The source links throughout the guide identify the records used. Summaries are abbreviated and do not replace the adopted text. This guide makes no candidate or ballot-measure endorsements.
Contact
To report a factual correction in this community guide, contact Chris Manzano at 305-999-5664 or Chris@ChrisManzano.com.
Independent informational publication, not an official government guide or endorsement slate. Research checked October 15, 2026. Information can change with official corrections or later records. Candidate affiliation in a nonpartisan race is separately attributed and must not be confused with its official ballot designation.
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