Jamaican-American candidates secure election victories in South Florida
Key Points(5)
- Three candidates with Jamaican roots were among those seeking elected office in South Florida during Tuesday's US elections, with contests in Lauderhill and Tamarac drawing attention from the Caribbean community.
- In Lauderhill, Jamaican-born Mayor Denise D.
- Grant sought another term, facing challenger Pauline Ricketts in the race for Seat 5.
- Grant, who joined the city's commission in 2018, became mayor in November 2025.
- Before entering municipal politics, she worked as a law firm operations director.
Three candidates with Jamaican roots secured victories in local elections in South Florida on Tuesday, with Denise D. Grant retaining the mayor's office in Lauderhill, Richard Campbell winning re-election to the Lauderhill City Commission and Kicia Daniel securing another term on the Tamarac City Commission.
According to Local 10 News' election results, Grant received 85% of the vote in the Lauderhill mayoral race, while Campbell secured 54% in the city's Commission Seat 4 contest. Daniel won Tamarac Commission Seat 4 with 65% of the vote.
In Lauderhill, Jamaican-born Grant defeated challenger Pauline L. Ricketts to retain the mayor's office. Ricketts received 15% of the vote.
Grant joined the city's commission in 2018 and became mayor in November 2025. Before entering municipal politics, she worked as a law firm operations director. Her campaign highlighted public safety and continued improvements to the city.
Ricketts, a public administrator, campaigned on affordability and generational change.
Also in Lauderhill, Jamaican-American Campbell won Commission Seat 4 with 54% of the vote, defeating three challengers: Mary Smith, who received 22%; Madline Noel, with 17%; and Jalecia K. Mack, with 6%.
Campbell, a physical therapist, previously served as a city commissioner and is the founder of the Caribbean-American Soccer Association. He was elected vice mayor in 2022 and has focused on neighbourhood safety, services for seniors and opportunities for young people.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Tamarac, Jamaican-born Daniel defeated Carol Mendelson to win another term as District 4 commissioner. Daniel received 65% of the vote to Mendelson's 35%.
An educator and school principal, Daniel holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She was first elected to the commission in 2022 and made history in December 2024 when she became the first Black woman to serve as Tamarac's vice mayor.
The contest was a rematch of the 2022 election, when Daniel defeated Mendelson to secure her first term.
.jpg&w=1920&q=75)