Local Politics · Miami-Dade County
Officials urge voters to approve renewal referendums for supplemental school funding in Miami-Dade and Broward counties on November 3. The measures, appearing as Question 268 in Miami-Dade and School Board Question #1 in Broward, extend existing property tax levies for teacher pay, safety, and mental health services. Approval would prevent the expiration of current funding streams, with Miami-Dade's extension running through June 2031 and Broward's through December 2030.
Local Politics · Miami-Dade County
A Florida International University poll found that 76% of Cuban Americans in South Florida disapprove of the Trump administration's increased deportations of Cubans with no criminal record over the first two years of his second term, yet 68% intend to support Republicans in the upcoming midterm election. In Florida's Senate race, 51% backed Republican Sen. Ashley Moody versus 26% for Democrat Angie Nixon, with 44% undecided. For governor, 60% supported Republican Rep. Byron Donalds and 24% backed Democrat David Jolly. Early voting is underway in Miami-Dade and Broward counties until Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., with Election Day on Nov. 3.
Local Politics · Doral, FL
On Oct. 16, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga and Police Chief Matthew Castillo co-hosted a three-day golf tournament and black-tie fundraiser at the city's Trump National Hotel, raising over $400,000 for the Parks and Police 4 Kids Foundation. The event coincided with resident protests against Doral's 287(g) agreement, which deputizes local officers for federal immigration enforcement, and followed the November loss of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, who make up 41% of Doral's population. City spokesperson Kamila de Tullio said the gala was a public-private partnership to fund programs for underprivileged children without raising taxes, noting Trump Doral itself was a sponsor and the only venue in Doral able to accommodate more than 600 guests. Local activists, including Project Pulso founder Liz Alarcón and Venezuelan-American activist Ade Ferro, criticized the event as tone-deaf amid community fear, business closures, and canceled events such as Doral's Oktoberfest.
