North Miami mayor's bid to reopen candidate qualification rejected; Morgan left as sole candidate
MIAMI, Florida — A Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge on October 22 dismissed North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme's counterclaim seeking to reopen the qualification period for a special mayoral election, finding the request came too late. Judge Beatrice Butchko Sanchez also denied Desulme's motions for rehearing and an injunction, leaving engineer George Morgan as the lone candidate in the November 3 race in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The dispute centers on qualifying fees: Florida law requires the fee to be paid from a campaign account by a check signed by the campaign treasurer, while Desulme used bank-certified checks drawn on his campaign account. Morgan, who has never held public office, sued to disqualify Desulme on October 8, and the court had already ruled Desulme ineligible. Desulme's attorney Benedict P. Kuehne argued that letting voters cast ballots for an unqualified candidate would undermine their right to choose their elected officials; Desulme's team had asked to reopen qualification for a December 1 special election while he appealed. Desulme was elected in 2024.
Miami-Dade County's notice to North Miami voters describes the mayoral contest as unopposed and says the remaining candidate will be deemed elected under the law. Countywide early voting began on Monday.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 迈阿密市中心航拍。图片：B137，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / Aerial view of downtown Miami. Photo: B137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
