Michael Hepburn, a Miami mayoral candidate of Bahamian descent who hopes to become the city’s first Black mayor, is threatening to sue the City of Miami over a controversial decision to postpone the city’s upcoming municipal election by a full year.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Mayor Francis Suarez, Hepburn called on the mayor to veto the ordinance—known as SR.1—that was passed last week by a narrow 3-2 vote of the City Commission. The measure moves the scheduled November 4, 2025, election to November 3, 2026, effectively extending the terms of the current mayor and two commissioners without any public vote.
“I am directly reaching out to ask you to VETO SR.1 and simply just give us the residents of this city the opportunity to vote for or against this measure. I am asking for you to place this question on the ballot,” Hepburn wrote. “This action is not just. This is not fair and YOU know — following this process to implement this change is not right.”
The vote has drawn swift backlash from residents, candidates, and state officials. Hepburn and fellow mayoral hopeful Emilio Gonzalez were among the protesters outside City Hall opposing the decision. The move has also been sharply criticized by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who in a formal opinion said the change was unconstitutional and violated both the Miami-Dade County Charter and provisions of the 1885 Florida Constitution. Uthmeier wrote that any amendment to election dates or terms must be approved by voters.
Hepburn said he supported Mayor Suarez in past elections but now feels abandoned by city leadership.
“I have never sued anyone in my life and it’s unfortunate that I even having to be considering doing this in the city that my family has sacrificed so much for. But Mayor Suarez — it just feels like you don’t even care to listen to us anymore or stand-up and fight for working-class people like me,” he wrote.
He added that if the mayor refuses to veto the ordinance, he will file a civil suit against the city seeking injunctive relief on constitutional grounds, citing violations of the 15th Amendment and the city’s own charter.
“If the City of Miami is to amend its charter, either to move the date of municipal elections or to change the terms of office for elected officials, then the change may only proceed by a vote of the electors, as described in Article VI, section 6.03 of the County’s Home Rule Charter.”
Hepburn has also paused his campaign to launch a recall effort against City Commissioner Damian Pardo, the sponsor of the proposal.
