Miami Lakes residents can vote early for Miami-Dade County’s primary election on August 28 at the Miami Collins Community Center, 15151 N.W. 82 Avenue.
According to Miami-Dade County’s Elections Department, registered voters can cast their ballots beginning Monday, August 13 through Friday, August 17 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, August 20 through Friday, August 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Residents will be voting for candidates running for the U.S. Senate, Florida Governor, state House of Representatives, Senate and positions for the Florida Cabinet.
The winners in August will represent their respective parties in November’s general election in a showdown, as the Democrats try to gain control in Congress in Washington and the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.
The most closely watch race is the U.S. Senate will pit Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in November, as the GOP and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees are expected to spend the most money is history for a senate seat.
But Scott must first get past Rocky De La Fuente, a businessman and ex-Reform Party candidate for president in 2016, for the Republican nomination in August’s primary.
For Florida Governor, U.S. Congressman Ron DeSantis and Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam are seeking the Republican nod in August to challenge Democratic candidates vying for the seat including former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, former Miami Beach mayor Phillip Levine, billionaire businessman Jeff Greene, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gullum and businessman Chris King.
For Florida House of Representatives, Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Frank Mingo, a Republican, is vacating his seat to run in District 103, as he ran unopposed in the primary and faces either Democrats Cindy Polo or Rick Tapaia in November.
Polo was a communications manager and department head for Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, according to her webpage, and Tapia is a Miami-Dade College professor.
Polo has lived in the Hialeah-Miami Lakes area since she moved from Providence, Rhode Island.
Tapia nabbed the United Teachers of Date endorsement shortly after he filed his papers to run for political office.
State Representative Manny Diaz Jr., who is term limited, is running for the State Senate, as he ran unopposed in the primary and seeks the District 36 seat when he faces either David Perez or Imtiaz Ahmad Mohammad.
Perez, 48, is a Coral Gables firefighter lieutenant, and he was the spokesman for then-Miami-Dade County mayor Alex Penalas.
Mohammad, who lives in Miramar, is CEO and publisher of the Asian Times USA.
The winner in November replaces outgoing State Senator Rene Garcia, who’s also term limited.
Miami Lakes State Representative Jose Olivia, a Republican, drew no challengers and retains his seat for another term in Tallahassee, where he’s expected to become the next House speaker following the elections in November.
For Agricultural Commissioner, seeking the Republican nomination to replace Putnam are State Representative Matt Caldwell, State Senator Denise Grimsley, Mike McCalister, a retired United States Army Colonel, and former State Representative Baxter Troutman.
For the Democratic nomination, candidates include Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter, R. David Walker, president of the South Florida Audubon Society and attorney Nikki Fried.
For Attorney General, candidates seeking the Republican nomination to replace term-limited Pam Bondi are former Circuit Court judge Ashley Moody and State Representative Frank White.
For the Democratic Party, State Representative Sean Shaw and attorney Ryan Torrens will face off in the primary.
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who Scott appointed to the position after Jeff Atwater resigned to become chief financial officer for Florida Atlantic University, is seeking his first full term when he faces Democrat Jeremy Ring, a former state senator.