Spencer Fordin
Alex Penelas heads to the polls next week with an extra endorsement in tow.
Penelas, one of seven candidates vying for Miami-Dade County Mayor, announced Thursday morning Miami-Dade County Commission Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson is endorsing him.
Penelas, who served as Miami-Dade County’s Mayor from 1998 to 2004, has also been endorsed by County Commissioner Barbara Jordan and former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.
“As Mayor previously and during this campaign, Alex Penelas has shown he is the proven leader who can best guide us through these difficult times,” Edmonson, the Commissioner for District 3, said. “True to form, he reached out, sat down, and listened to the Black community and their needs. As a result, he developed a bold, community-driven agenda that would move us forward, keep us safe coming out of COVID-19, provide relief to our small businesses, and spur investment in our community that would get people back to work.
“That is the type of leadership and collaboration our community needs now and that is why I am proud to endorse him for Miami-Dade County Mayor.”
Penelas, who has also been endorsed by the Miami Times and a slew of local officials, said he was thrilled to have Edmonson’s support.
“She is a true champion for the Black community and I will certainly seek her advice and counsel as we work to recover from the pandemic and rebuild an economy that works for everyone in Miami-Dade,” he said.
Penelas is part of a giant field for the Miami-Dade County mayoral seat including Miami-Dade County Commissioners Daniella Levine Cava, Esteban Bovo and Xavier Suarez.
Monique Nicole Barley, Carlos Antonio de Armas and Lyudmila Domond are also running.
If no candidate earns 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will head to a runoff in November.
Penelas voted at 11 a.m. Thursday with his family and a phalanx of elected officials including Village of Miami Shores Mayor Crystal Wagar and city of North Miami Mayor Phillippe Bien-Aime.
