NORTH MIAMI (Le Floridien) –It’s election time once again in North Miami, a city where Haitians account for about 42% of the population. Since the historical election of Josaphat J. Celestin (also known as Joe Celestin) in 2001 as the first Haitian-American mayor of a sizeable city in the United States, City of North Miami has been commanded – in various occasions – by a majority of Haitian-American politicians (taking control of the mayoral, District 3 and 4 seats).
This year, 2019, four seats (Mayor – District 1 – District 4 – City Clerk) are up for election, while District 3 is heading toward a special election since its occupant has decided to vacate the seat and try his hand at a higher position.
Mayoral Seat
The current Mayor has been in office since 2014 when he won a special election to complete the rest of ex-Mayor Lucie Tondreau’s term (suspended from office by Florida Governor Rick Scott a day after she was charged as part of an $8 million mortgage fraud scheme. She has served a prison sentence. Tondreau was released last December, but still on probation). The current Mayor was elected to his first two-year term in 2015 and faced no opposition. He won a second term in May 2017, beating two opponents: retired doctor Hector Medina and Danielle Beauvais. He is not eligible to run for a third consecutive term.
The North Miami mayoral race is a four-person contest. The candidates are: Public Administrator Mac-Kinley Lauriston, Councilman Philippe Bien-Aimé (District 3), retired doctor Hector Medina, and Danielle C.J. Beauvais, who has been referred to as a ‘joke candidate’. Most observers have predicted that Lauriston and Bien-Aime, the top contenders, will eventually head to a run-off election. Few of those observers believe Lauriston can win the race in the first round.
Pro-Lauriston observers argued that Bien-Aime’s team should not take the candidacy of Lauriston lightly. Given the fact that Lauriston is a better articulated candidate, who knows a lot about local government, he is no stranger to politics as he served as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the current Miami-Dade District 2 Commissioner (2017-2019). Lauriston is also well-known as a Mastermind when it comes to election strategies for candidates. He has been known as one of the great architects of the historic victory of Jean Monestime in 2010, elected as the first Haitian-American ever to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. As a political consultant, Lauriston also helped Ms. Darline B. Riggs build a high-quality campaign staff around her and offered advice and creative expertise that helped launch her into office. In March 2015, Riggs won the Miramar Commission Seat 4. Mr. Lauriston certainly has become the preeminent political strategist within the Haitian political community, thanks to his vision, data analytical skills, and technological expertise. Some observers believe that if Lauriston was able to help other candidates succeed in the past, it makes sense to believe that he should be able to be even better at helping himself by running an incredible campaign.
Most interesting in this mayoral race is the fact that two of the city’s past Haitian-American mayors publicly took sides for each candidate. Former Mayor Joe Celestin (2001-2005) made a wonderful introduction to present Lauriston to the audience on the night of his campaign luncheon at Nomi Grill (formerly known as Moca Café), in downtown North Miami on Monday, September 10, 2018.
“It is with great honor and pride that I give you the man that I believe will lead North Miami into the next century,” Mr. Celestin said. “My friend for whom I am here to support along with other elected officials that are in the room (former North Miami Councilman Jean Marcellus – Broward County District 9 Commissioner Dale V.C. Holness – Maimi-Dade District 2 Commissioner Jean Monestime).”
“Mr. Lauriston, I am here to make to you a commitment. Based on what I know about you, as a person, a man of integrity, a husband, a father, a Christian, a man who believes in helping others; I know based on what you shared with me, you will do a good job as mayor of North Miami,” Celestin added.
On the other side of the contest, former two-term Mayor Andre Pierre stands with Philippe Bien-Aimé , who resigned as the District 3 Councilman to run for mayor. Pierre has hosted multiple fundraisers to support his candidate. As of April 23, the councilman has raised a good amount of cash ($144,266.00) in campaign donations compared to newcomer Lauriston’s $88,956.00; Medina assembled $8,960 and Beauvais has managed $4,406.00.
It the Haitian Community, it is very rare to find a public figure express his/her opinion on a race involving several Haitian-American candidates. The act of Celestin and Pierre, who each believes in their separate opinion about the North Miami mayoral race, needs to be commended. This shows how both of them truly understand and believe in the democracy process, which makes America the greatest country in the world.
A former councilmember who requested to remain anonymous stated that he believes the current District 3 seat-holder will win the mayoral race in the first round. He bases his opinion entirely on the fact that Bien-Aimé has deep roots in North Miami’s political arena, having served as Councilman since 2013 and as Vice Mayor since January 2019. He has the most experience in the North Miami government of the four contenders. According to our interlocutor, the District 3 Councilman has a clear financial advantage over the other candidates. Our interlocutor pointed out that the Councilman amassed solid campaign funds, especially from donors such as business owners he has ‘served’ during his past six years in office. “As you know, money is very essential to success in electoral campaigns,” said a former council member of one of the Miami Dade northern cities.
When we reminded him about a quote from Candidate Lauriston saying that, “Money plays a major role in political success, but you also need to know how to invest it wisely,” the well-known politician just replied, “Well, let’s wait and see”.
Besides the two other candidates (Dr. Medina and Danielle Beauvais), the two top contenders (Lauriston and Bien-Aimé) clashed on many subjects during a debate at Senator Gwen Margolis Community Center, hosted by Keystone Point and Sans Souci Home Associations, and a forum at The Griffing Adult Center hosted by ‘A Coalition of North Miami Neighborhood Association’ last April.
Many participants took part in the debate, yet Public Administrator Mac-Kinley Lauriston largely dominated his opponents. Laursiton’s performance at the debate earned him the support of many residents on the East side. Some of them had requested campaign signs to support him in order to put them in front of their houses in Keystone Point, a gated community, known for its waterfront homes that have direct access to the ocean.
This isn’t Medina’s first brush with North Miami politics, as he campaigned for mayor in the previous election in 2017 against the then-incumbent Mayor. Medina, 60, a retired medical administrator lost that race and is trying again for a second bout.
Danielle C.J. Beauvais is a 14-year resident of North Miami. The 59- year-old woman assisted former North Miami Mayor Joe Celestin in 2001 and ran for mayor in 2005 and 2017.
District 1 Seat
Scott Galvin, 50, is the current District 1 seat holder (the northeast part of the city between Northeast 14th Avenue and Biscayne Bay). He has been the representative of this district on the council ever since winning election in 2003. He is now looking for a fifth term. Galvin has only one opponent, a well-educated and qualified young Haitian-American: Vanessa Pierre, who pulled out of her original bid for City Clerk to run against him.
Born and raised in North Miami, her parents came to the U.S. in the 1980s. She went to school in North Miami (W.J. Bryan Elementary, North Miami Middle School, and North Miami Senior High School). She then went away to college in 2007 and studied for a bachelor’s degree at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL. Vanessa Pierre was 9 years old and in the 4th grade when Galvin won his first term as Councilman.
The young Haitian-American female candidate stated in her video announcement, “Elected positions should be earned and not gifted. I believe that in most jobs after a year you should have an evaluation; and with the person currently seated, they haven’t had anyone run against them so they just keep the position, and I don’t think that’s how it should work. I believe that it’s time to know that in North Miami, we have options! The needs of the community have changed, the demographics have changed, and we need progressive and innovative thinkers. I knew I wanted to run and I knew I wanted to make a change!”
Vanessa Pierre profiles herself as someone who is big on environmental issues, recycling, and paying attention to our community and nature. She also wants the infrastructure to be upgraded due to rising sea levels.
First elected in 1999, Scott Galvin is the longest-serving Councilman in North Miami’s 90-year history. Professionally, he is currently the Director of Wellness and Community Prosperity for the YWCA of Miami-Dade. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a global nonprofit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 820,000 people in 39 countries.
District 3 Seat
The seat for District 3 is currently held by Councilman Bien-Aimé, but since he’s running for the open Mayoral seat, a special election has to be held in order to fill the vacancy that occurs before the end of his four-year term. The winner of that special election will serve the remainder of the last term of Bien-Aimé.
The candidates are: Mary Estimé-Irvin, Wancito Francius, former Councilmember Jean R. Marcellus, and current City Clerk Michael A. Etienne.
District 4 Seat
The seat for District 4 is being sought by incumbent councilman Alix Desulme as well as Nacivre Charles (who is going by Charles “Charlie” Nacivre in his campaign material) and Claude Rivette.
Rivette is a serious contender, who has enjoyed a two-decade career in education with Miami Dade County Public Schools which has been filled accomplishments and accolades. He began his career as a science teacher and later became a science with the goal of turning around outcomes for students who are underrepresented in STEM fields. His ability to motivate students led to his promotion to the position of Assistant Principal at North Miami Senior High School and he currently serves in the same post at Linda Linton K-8 Center.
Desulme, 41, was first elected to serve on the dais as the city clerk in 1999. He was elected as Council member in 2015. Desulme has lived in North Miami for over 25 years.
City Clerk
City Clerk is a position that is normally appointed by the Mayor in most cities. In North Miami however, the City Clerk is elected by the people every four years. Beginning with the election in 2013, the City Clerk can serve a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms. As his second term will expire in May 2021, former city clerk Michael Etienne resigned to run for the remaining term of the District 3 Councilman seat.
The City Clerk contenders are: Vanessa Joseph, Esq., Elizabeth Jeanty, and Jessica Tracy Wolland. One thing is certain in this election is that the successor of the current City Clerk will be a female, a new person.
As is their custom, voters will walk over to local polls and cast their ballot. Some could have voted weeks ago with a mail-in ballot and avoided the disruption to their usual Tuesday routine, but many enjoy the ceremony of day-of voting. It reminds them that it’s not just any ordinary Tuesday, but an occasion to participate in shaping of the City of North Miami’s history.
North Miami’s most recent election (2017) saw disappointing voter turnout, which was a major blow to the local government. It was one of the lowest voter participation rates ever. For many observers, it was due to dissatisfaction of the voters who were unhappy with the then-current council, the way business is conducted in the city. This year, the turnout might be more significant and robust, according to some community political analysts.
For those who love the foundation of freedom, who wish to have a part in shaping North Miami’s future, this is your opportunity. While it’s easy to dismiss local city positions and elections, these are the most intimate and vital aspects of local community. This is where we can truly shape what North Miami will be in the next few years and perhaps decades into the future.
Voting is more than a privilege; it’s a responsibility. We owe it to ourselves, our neighbors, and all those who fought and worked so hard to provide us these opportunities in the past. This election, be sure to take part in the greatest act of freedom we have: vote.
Dessalines Ferdinand
LE FLORIDIEN