Miami Lakes Councilmember Ceasar Mestre easily won another four-year term in office defeating political neophyte Xiomara Pazos in November’s general election, which experienced a low voter turnout despite being placed on the ballot for one of the most intense and closest Gubernatorial races in Florida history.
According to the Miami-Dade elections department, Mestre, an attorney, mustered 64 percent (4,688) to retain Seat 6, while Pazos collected 6 percent (2,589) in the November 5 election, in which only 7,539 residents voted either at the polls or by absentee ballot.
Among 23,000 residents, about 15,212 are Miami Lakes registered voters.
Mestre, who had a $58,000 war chest for a small-town election, won despite a recent published report casting a cloud over some of his campaign contributors, who are connected to the potential sale and development of residential and commercial project along N.W. 87 Avenue north of Miami Lakes Drive.
Some of the parties, including Miami-based Lennar Corporation, real estate broker Wayne Rinehart and former Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina, made contributions to Mestre’s campaign.
At his victory party at Trattoria Pampered Chef in Miami Lakes, Mestre expressed his gratitude to his supporters.
“I want to thank everyone, but a special thanks to the Miami Lakes team,” Mestre said referring to the entire Town Council endorsing his candidacy. “These guys showed me what a team really is about.”
Pazos, who is CEO and president of Professional Medical Transportation Corporation in Hialeah, raised $13,666 for her campaign. She ran on a platform of no new taxes and fees, cutting government waste, keeping families safe and shielding Miami Lakes’ quality of life.
“Our town requires responsible management and common sense leadership to ensure effective governance that responds to the needs of all the people,” Pazos said.
Mestre was the only incumbent who had to hit the campaign trail.
Councilmembers Tim Daubert and Frank Mingo ran unopposed and won another four-year term in office.
Also on the November 5 ballot, residents amended the town charter on future annexation considerations, allowing equal appointments for the town’s committees, and approving a straw ballot to resume pursuing an independent zip code for Miami Lakes.
Eighty-five percent (6,393) of voters approved the charter change to require that future annexation proposals must be first approved by them in a referendum.
Seventy one percent (4,777) of voters approved the amendment to allow all councilmembers to appoint residents to the town’s committees; 84 percent (5,975) of voters approved of Miami Lakes’ efforts to get its own zip code.
In other race of local interest, former Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Pedro J. Garcia defeated former State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez, 58 percent to 42 percent to regain his former post.
State Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. retained his District 103 seat by defeating Benjamin F. De Yurre, 58 percent to 42 percent, and State Rep. Jose Oliva retained his District 110 seat by defeating Nelson Millan, 69 percent to 31 percent.