Mayoral candidate Michael Hepburn threatens lawsuit over Miami election delay

Michael Hepburn, a Miami mayoral candidate of Bahamian descent who hopes to become the city’s first Black mayor, is threatening to sue the City of Miami over a controversial decision to postpone the city’s upcoming municipal election by a full year.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Mayor Francis Suarez, Hepburn called on the mayor to veto the ordinance—known as SR.1—that was passed last week by a narrow 3-2 vote of the City Commission. The measure moves the scheduled November 4, 2025, election to November 3, 2026, effectively extending the terms of the current mayor and two commissioners without any public vote.

“I am directly reaching out to ask you to VETO SR.1 and simply just give us the residents of this city the opportunity to vote for or against this measure. I am asking for you to place this question on the ballot,” Hepburn wrote. “This action is not just. This is not fair and YOU know — following this process to implement this change is not right.”

The vote has drawn swift backlash from residents, candidates, and state officials. Hepburn and fellow mayoral hopeful Emilio Gonzalez were among the protesters outside City Hall opposing the decision. The move has also been sharply criticized by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who in a formal opinion said the change was unconstitutional and violated both the Miami-Dade County Charter and provisions of the 1885 Florida Constitution. Uthmeier wrote that any amendment to election dates or terms must be approved by voters.




https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/local-news/mayoral-candidate-michael-hepburn-threatens-lawsuit-over-miami-election-delay/