The qualifying deadline for the Miami Beach elections this November came and went Friday and nobody challenged Mayor Dan Gelber after his first term.
That means Gelber automatically wins re-election without a single vote cast.
“I am grateful to all those that have been supportive of my candidacy and 
honored to have the confidence of my community,” Gelber said in a statement. “I am also grateful to my family for without their support and sacrifice I would never be able to serve.”
Gelber, a father of three, is the son of former Mayor Sy Gelber, who died in March at age 99.
“Being Mayor of my hometown has been my great honor and it is not a trust I take for granted. I will continue to work every day to make our community the special place we love,” he said.
Gelber’s political consultant, Christian Ulvert, called it “a testament to his strong record in his first term.” Ladra calls it a testament to building a warchest to scare would-be challengers away.
Read related: Amid Miami Beach chaos, Mayor Dan Gelber raises funds for race
Gelber, who raised half a million in 2017 against three nobodies, had already 
amassed nearly $200,000 for this race. Even though he’s already spent more than $65,000, according to the latest campaign reports recording transactions through July, the two people who filed paperwork opening campaign accounts — Konstantinos Gus Menessis and Samantha Salgado — hadn’t raised more than $350 between them and realized they had no chance. So they withdrew.
It’s too bad. Gelber, a former Democratic state rep — from 200 to 2010 when he ran for Attorney General and lost against Pam Bondi — ran on an ethics platform, but has not been all that. Most recently, he pushed for a referendum question that would extend mayoral terms from two to four years — giving him more time past what would be his term limits under the current rules.
Read related: Miami Beach City Commission considers 4-year mayoral term
The losers are Miami Beach voters, who won’t even get a chance to question the most important city official and watch him debate the issues.
Hopefully, voters will be engaged enough with the three commission races in the Nov. 5 election (more on that later).
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber wins re-election — sans challenge added by Ladra on
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