Race for Miami-Dade District 1 seat comes too close to call

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County voters will decide who will be the new person filling the county commissioner seat for District 1.

That decision did not come on Election Day.

Sybrina Fulton, who has turned to a life of activism and service after the death of her teenage son Trayvon Martin, is running against longtime Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert.

With the race separated by around 300 votes, neither candidate made any public statements.

The winner of the seat will be replacing longtime commissioner Barbara Jordan, who is forced to leave her position due to a law approved by Miami-Dade voters in 2012 which approved a two-term limit for the 13 members of the board.

Gilbert, like Jordan, is being forced out of his current job as Miami Gardens mayor due to term limits. He is also finishing his second term.

Before being elected mayor, Gilbert served on the Miami Gardens City Council from 2008 to 2012.

Candidate

Votes

%

Oliver Gilbert
00%
Sybrina Fulton
00%
0% of Reporting

(0 / 49)

Fulton has received endorsements from 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Sen. Corey Booker, D-NJ.

Since her son's death, Fulton has advocated for gun control and stronger gun laws. Martin was shot and killed by community watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who was arrested, tried and ultimately acquitted of all charges.

Martin's death and ultimately Zimmerman's acquittal sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

Miami Gardens in the largest city in District 1.

Click here to view the results of all races in South Florida.


About the Authors:

David Dwork joined the WPLG Local 10 News team in August 2019. Born and raised in Miami-Dade County, David has covered South Florida sports since 2007.

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.