MIAMI (Le Floridien) — Haitian-American Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien secured an overwhelming re-election victory, winning 78% of the vote and earning a second and final term representing District 2 on the County Commission.
Bastien’s commanding victory in the August 18 election eliminated the need for a November runoff. Her closest challenger, Miguel “Skip” Quintero, received approximately 13% of the vote, while Ernst Jean Louis finished third with about 9%.
The result keeps Bastien at County Hall through 2030, when she will reach the county’s term limit. Bastien, who was first elected in 2022, made history as the first Haitian-American woman to serve on the Miami-Dade County Commission. District 2 includes communities in northern Miami-Dade and is home to a significant Haitian-American population.
Her 78% showing was particularly decisive in a three-candidate race because Miami-Dade Commission candidates must receive more than 50% to win outright. By easily clearing that threshold, Bastien settled the contest in the August election rather than advancing to a runoff.
Campaign Focused on Housing, Infrastructure and Economic Opportunity
Bastien campaigned largely on her first-term record and a promise to continue work in affordable housing, neighborhood infrastructure, small-business development and employment opportunities.
Housing remained one of the central themes of her campaign. Bastien argued that affordable housing should reach lower- and moderate-income working families who increasingly struggle with Miami-Dade’s high housing costs. Projects underway in District 2 include affordable and workforce housing, while her campaign also emphasized protecting residents from displacement.
Her campaign platform also called for expanding the Mom & Pop small-business grant program, bringing additional investment and jobs to District 2’s commercial corridors, improving aging roads, drainage and water systems, and expanding job training and economic opportunities for residents.
Infrastructure was another issue Bastien highlighted during the campaign, including investment along the 27th Avenue corridor. She also acknowledged that Miami-Dade County faces budget pressures and said the county needs to examine expenses and make cuts.
Bastien has also continued to emphasize immigrant issues, reflecting her decades of advocacy before entering elected office. In an interview earlier this year with WLRN, South Florida’s public radio station, she described immigrant protections as an issue of dignity and inclusion and highlighted the economic contributions of immigrant workers and small-business owners throughout Miami-Dade.
Bastien Wins by Wide Margin Over Two Challengers
Quintero, a South Florida native and small-business owner who previously ran unsuccessfully for Miami-Dade mayor in 2024, campaigned on government transparency, community ownership and affordable housing. Among his proposals was livestreaming activity from his commission office as a transparency measure.
Jean Louis, a newcomer to electoral politics, focused his campaign on representing everyday residents and economic and neighborhood concerns.
The incumbent entered the contest with substantially greater political and financial resources than either challenger. According to campaign-finance figures reported before the election, Bastien had raised more than $1.2 million through her campaign account and political committee over four years, compared with approximately $13,200 for Quintero and $2,200 for Jean Louis.
After securing re-election, Bastien characterized the result as a mandate to continue the work begun during her first term.
With 78% of ballots cast in her favor, Bastien will now serve another four years representing District 2, making the 2026 victory the final Miami-Dade County Commission election of her tenure under existing term limits.
