Best of Miami 2016 Preview: Best Politician

Hang on to your pants, Miami, because the biggest competition of the summer lands next week. No, not the 2016 Olympics. We're talking about Miami New Times annual Best of Miami issue. Inside, our staff has chosen more than 300 winners from the finest restaurants to the most notable new...

By Miami New Times staff

June 10, 2016

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Hang on to your pants, Miami, because the biggest competition of the summer lands next week. No, not the 2016 Olympics. We're talking about Miami New Times' annual Best of Miami issue. Our staff has chosen more than 300 winners, from the finest restaurants to the most notable new bars and clubs around the Magic City. We'll also reveal the winners of our Readers' Poll, where thousands of votes were cast on Miami's favorite spots.

The issue hits the web next Tuesday. To whet your appetite for the main event, we're previewing some of our picks today.

Here's our 2016 selection for Miami's best politician.

Best Politician: Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava

In 2014, Daniella Levine Cava pulled off the near-impossible. Her defeat of Commissioner Lynda Bell, a Tea Party sympathizer who single-handedly tried to defeat an expansion of Miami-Dade's Human Rights Ordinance, was just one of a handful of victories of insurgent candidates against incumbents in the past few decades. Levine Cava, the former head of social services organization Catalyst Miami, has now become a much-needed outspoken progressive on the county commission and has used her position to fight for the little people. She has battled for paid sick time, an increase in the minimum wage, and additional public transit options. She has also become the leading voice from inside the local halls of power for campaign finance reform and more transparency in local elections, an issue on which voters of all political stripes seem to agree.

Best of Miami 2016: A full list of the 2016 winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 14, and the complete issue will be available on newsstands Thursday, June 16. Celebrate with us at the Best of Miami Launch Party at the Rusty Pelican on Thursday, June 16. Tickets cost $45. Visit microapp.miaminewtimes.com/bestofparty/2016/.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.