MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Miami Beach residents voted in a close race Tuesday to re-elect their mayor.
Mayor Steven Meiner ran against Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and defeated her by a margin of 51% to 49%.
“You saw the work that we did the last two years,” Meiner told his supporters after his win. “We cleaned up spring break, we reduced crime, almost 20%, our homeless count is almost one of the lowest.”
Rosen Gonzalez, meanwhile, congratulated Meiner on the win at her own election night event.
“We put our heart and soul into this campaign and I couldn’t see us working harder, you know, then we did,” she said. “So I’d like to congratulate Steven Meiner. He ran a great race too, and it was hard going up against an incumbent.”
Both candidates spoke to Local 10 News in October.
Meiner, an attorney-turned-public servant who was first elected mayor in 2023, campaigned on a drop in crime and policies he’s backed to address homelessness.
He says his approach has helped attract new business investments.
Rosen Gonzalez, college professor and lifelong Miami Beach resident, has said that while overall crime is down, some violent offenses are on the rise.
She said residents “need a leader that can focus us on our priorities — the economy, water quality, public safety, (and) transit" rather than “attacking each other all the time.”
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