West Miami City Elections Canceled After No One Bothers to Run Against Incumbents

The winds of change are blowing through American politics. Americans are sick of business as usual, sick of the establishment, and sick of incumbent politicians. Insurgent, outsider candidates have been gaining steam over the past few years. The phenomenon isn't happening only in the presidential primaries; it can be found at all levels of government as well. Just look at Ken Russell's surprising upset win in last year's City of Miami Commission race. 

Well, apparently, those winds haven't quite reached West Miami. The city has called off its municipal election next month after no one bothered to run against any of the three city officials facing reelection. That includes Mayor Eduardo Muhiña and Commissioners Candida Blanca and Luciano L. Suarez. 

Ironically, the West Miami city commission is where Marco Rubio got his start in elected politics. 

The election was scheduled for April 12. Candidates were supposed to qualify by February 26, but no one besides the incumbents bothered to qualify. 

Muhiña has served as mayor since 2009. He took office after Cesar Carasa, was suspended for racking up more than $70,000 in charges on his city-issued cell phone to talk to women he had met in the Dominican Republic. Those charges rounded out to $11 per resident of the city.

Blanca and Suarez have served on the city commission since 2010 and 2012, respectively. 

Granted, West Miami is a relatively small, working-class suburb. It has only about 6,000 residents. The biggest issue on the agenda for the next city commission meeting is whether to spend money to fix drains. 

You would think only six years after a major (and bizarre) city government scandal, someone would bother to run to keep the incumbents on their toes.