Aguilera Wins Council Seat 2
The City of Doral’s new Mayor and two of three City Council seats will be determined in Nov. 27 runoff elections after the Nov. 6 municipal voting.
Securing 50% or more of the total votes cast was in doubt in each three contests until final counts became available, three days after polls closed.
Results were delayed until Friday, Nov. 9 to complete counting of absentee ballots at Miami-Dade County election headquarters.
In the Mayor’s race, former Councilman Luigi Boria got 4,626 votes or 41% of the Nov. 6 balloting, requiring a runoff against Frank Bolanos who narrowly bested Councilman Pete Cabrera for second place by just 73 votes.
Question of a possible recount was raised due to the narrow margin between Bolanos (3,330 votes or 29.70%) and Cabrera (3,257 or 29.03%).
“The law states there is a recount if the margin is .5% or less,” commented Christina White, MDC Deputy Supervisor of Elections. “This race is outside that margin, so there is no recount… Frank Bolanos and Luigi Boria will continue on to the run-off.”
The only outright winner in four Doral contests was Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera by just 107 votes over Clemente Vera, 4,786 to 4,679.
For Council Seat 1, Sandra Ruiz with a 48% margin will be challenged in the Nov. 27 runoff by Elena Ortega Tauler who polled 38% of the total votes cast. Carlos Ruiz ran third with 12% of the total vote. In the Council Seat 3 race, former Councilman Robert Von Name ran second with 32%, sufficient to require a runoff with Christi Fraga who led a three-candidate field with 45%. Bibiana Salmon placed third with 22% of the votes cast.
The Boria-Bolanos contest will choose a successor to Juan Carlos Bermudez who was elected in 2003 as Doral’s first Mayor. Bermudez had thrown his support to Bolanos to succeed him in the Nov. 6 election.
The Mayor had also backed Elena Tauler for the Council 1 Seat in a farewell statement published in the Oct. Doral Tribune.
Runoff balloting hours at Doral’s eight precincts will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
