Several of Miami-Dade\u2019s most prominent Jewish elected leaders are lining up behind Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins\u2019 bid for Miami Mayor.<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, and Miami-Dade County School Board member and former state Rep. Joe Geller are joining Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava \u2014 the county\u2019s first Jewish Mayor \u2014 in backing Higgins. All are Democrats.<\/p>\n
Wasserman Schultz said Higgins \u201chas proven, time and again, that she is the leader Miami needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has delivered for residents, families, and small business owners \u2014 building affordable housing, improving transit, protecting Biscayne Bay, and cutting through bureaucracy for the people she served on the County Commission,\u201d Wasserman Schultz said of Higgins.<\/p>\n
\u201cEileen leads with integrity, results, and an unwavering commitment to doing what\u2019s right. I\u2019m proud to endorse her for Mayor because she has earned our community\u2019s trust through her actions, not just her words, and I know she will bring the same principled, people-first leadership to City Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geller pointed to Higgins\u2019 record as a sign she can bring steadiness to City Hall.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiami\u2019s City Hall needs stability, professionalism, and results-driven leadership \u2014 and that\u2019s exactly what Eileen Higgins brings to every role she takes on,\u201d Geller said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEileen is a serious, hardworking public servant who has earned the respect of people across this community because she delivers on her word. Miamians will be better off with her leadership, and I\u2019m proud to endorse her for Mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gelber echoed that theme, arguing that restoring trust in the Miami government requires an experienced hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spent my career in public service and the law, and I know the kind of steady, ethical leadership it takes to restore trust in government. Eileen Higgins has shown that leadership time and again \u2014 delivering affordable housing, growing our local economy, and making government more accountable to the people,\u201d Gelber said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiami needs a Mayor who has both the courage to take on corruption and the ability to get real results for residents. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to support Eileen \u2014 she\u2019s exactly the kind of principled leader the City of Miami deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Higgins said she was \u201chumbled\u201d by the support from these officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have long stood for justice, transparency, and protecting the most vulnerable among us \u2014 values I have carried with me throughout my life,\u201d Higgins said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when Miami deserves honest leadership and a City Hall focused on the safety, prosperity, and well-being of our residents, their endorsement means a great deal. As Mayor, I will work every day to rebuild trust and deliver meaningful progress for every family in Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n
The latest endorsements add to a growing list of unions, advocacy groups, newspapers and elected officials backing Higgins.<\/p>\n
That includes U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, 1199SEIU<\/a>, SEIU 32BJ<\/a>, AFSCME Local 1907<\/a>, UNITE HERE Local 355<\/a>, SAVE Action PAC<\/a> and LiUNA Local 1652<\/a>. LGBTQ advocacy groups Equality Florida Action PAC<\/a> and EMILY\u2019s List<\/a>, and abortion rights organization Ruth\u2019s List Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n Higgins is competing against former City Manager Emilio Gonz\u00e1lez in the Dec. 9 runoff.<\/p>\n