Who says no one likes politicians? 25 people have applied to be one
It’s a job with long hours, endless meetings, and a salary of $6,000 a year.
But that hasn’t deterred 25 people from applying to fill a vacancy on the Miami Beach City Commission. The spot opened up this month after Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez was forced to resign in order to comply with a recently expanded resignto-run law.
The applicants include a former commissioner, unsuccessful candidates from previous races, residents who are active in neighborhood organizations and city boards, and political newcomers. They include transplants to South Florida and lifelong Beach residents. And they include engineers, lawyers, retirees, business owners, a pharmacy student, an emergency-room doctor, and a former member of the National Guard.
Commissioners have been fielding calls and emails from potential candidates since before they formally decided to appoint an interim commissioner to serve out the remaining 10 months of Rosen Gonzalez’s term, rather than holding a costly special election. But in recent days, as Thursday’s deadline for picking a replacement nears, elected officials have been flooded with requests for meetings and advice.
“I thought I was only going to have to carve out one day, but it’s looking more like two to have at least 10 minutes with everybody,” said Commissioner John Elizabeth Alemán, who as of Tuesday morning had already met with four applicants whom she didn’t previously know.
The competition for interim commissioner, which will be decided at the commission’s Jan. 23 meeting, has drawn far more candidates than a typical Miami Beach election. But the prospect of serving on the commission without the hassle of fundraising and campaigning likely appeals to a lot of residents, Alemán said.
“Clearly being a candidate makes people’s blood run cold,” she said. “I think that people are very intimidated by the nastiness of campaigns.”
Chris Duggan, 68, a retired educator who moved to Miami Beach five years ago, said the opportunity to tackle city issues without the headache of campaigning was one of the factors that motivated him to apply.
“The public-service aspect is really what’s appealing to me,” he said. “I’ve watched some friends go through the politics route, all the campaigning and the fundraising and all that, and it’s very demanding.” One person who hasn’t applied? Rosen Gonzalez, who resigned last year in order to run for Congress after changes to the state’s resign-to-run law forced her to choose between her city post and a long-shot congressional bid. She submitted her resignation last April but didn’t have to step down until Jan. 3.
Some Miami Beach residents pushed for elected officials to put Rosen Gonzalez back in office, arguing that commissioners should honor the wishes of voters who elected her in 2015. But Rosen Gonzalez told the Miami Herald that she has decided not to apply because some commissioners want an appointee who pledges not to run for a four-year term in November, and she can’t make that promise.
Kyra Gurney: 305-376-3205, @KyraGurney