MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A former Florida lawmaker has been elected the new mayor of Miami Beach.
Dan Gelber garnered more than 9,000 votes Tuesday night in a landslide victory, winning by more than 82 percent of the vote.
Gelber's name may sound familiar. He served in the Florida Legislature from 2000 to 2010, spending time in both the House and Senate. The Democrat unsuccessfully ran for attorney general in 2010.
"Miami Beach is the only home I've ever known," Gelber said in a victory statement. "So I'm honored that my hometown has trusted me with this office. I intend to work every day to earn that trust and keep our city a special place."
Gelber, who is the son of former Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber, was running against political newcomers Kenneth Bereski, Daniel Kahn and June Savage, none of whom had served in public office.
Savage, a real estate agent, was a distant second with slightly more than 7 percent of the vote. Kahn, a New York transplant who has worked in Miami Beach's hospitality industry for more than a decade, was third with more than 5 percent of the vote. Bereski, a businessman who has lived in Miami Beach since 2005, was last with more than 4 percent of the vote.
"It's great to win, and it's great to win by large margins, but at the end of the day, you have to perform," Gelber told Local 10 News. "So I view a public office as a trust, and I intend to work every day to earn that trust."
Gelber will take over for outgoing Mayor Philip Levine, who recently announced that he is running for governor.
"I congratulate Mayor-elect Dan Gelber on his victory tonight," Levine said in a statement. "I am proud of the campaign he ran and excited to see him lead as mayor of Miami Beach. Our office stands ready to help as we have a smooth transition from one administration to the next."