The SunPost

The Miami Beach Commission election was marked by low voter turnout, despite it being one of the most important in years. More than half the dais was up for grabs: three commission seats and the chair of popular termed-out Mayor David Dermer.

But a week of early voting and the possibility of a major power shift only lured 25 percent of the city’s voters to the polls. That means 39,645 registered voters cast 9,967 ballots.

Those working at the polls called it “relatively slow.” City Clerk Robert Parcher said he was “disappointed.”

In fact, the Group 5 race was determined by a margin of only 33 votes, after an automatic recount that won’t be certified until Friday night. However, about 99 absentee ballots were not counted. Some lacked information or had inconsistent signatures; others arrived after the polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

In the four-person race for the mayor’s seat, Matti Herrera Bower beat Simon Cruz — 4,665 votes to 4,376 — but her 289-vote lead fell short of the greater than 50 percent needed for an outright win. Bower received 47.9 percent and Cruz 44.95 percent, triggering a Nov. 20 runoff.

Despite the pleasantly cool weather that swept through Miami Beach, the city’s politics were just heating up.

“The difference is between Matti Bower and the special interests,” Alex Fernandez, her media relations volunteer, said as Bower and her supporters posed for photographs with Commissioner Saul Gross at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, the third busiest polling location in the city.

At that time, reports of a tussle between Bower and the wife of her opponent, Simon Cruz were already circulating. According to rumors, Mariana Cruz showed up at the polling place and yanked Matti Bower flyers out of the hands of her supporters. Bower campaigners kept the crumpled flyers as evidence.

“I had a friend who was walking with me and [Bower supporters] were handing her cards,” Mariana Cruz said. “I said ‘here’s your flyer back’ because that was my personal friend. They’re making much ado about nothing.”

As Bower considered the possibility of a runoff, she noticed a discarded Simon Cruz poster on the ground near a trash can, picked it up and gingerly placed it with other discarded posters. “You throwing that away?” one Bower volunteer joked. “No, I put it on the side,” Bower replied, laughing.

“It’s been a long hard race,” Bower said just before the polls closed. “I hope we can do it without a runoff — I hope we don’t have another two weeks of this.”

Later, volunteers in Bower campaign T-shirts arrived at Bower’s party at Café Avanti on 41st Street with pink and white balloons. Fernandez started a chant, followed by a female supporter’s impromptu rally cry.

“Give me an M!” to which the crowd responded with a hearty “M!” Just several letters later, however, the crowd fell silent when the woman shouted, “Give me a Y!”

A short delay in her appearance had supporters wondering if Bower couldn’t find parking — an ironic inference, considering her campaign was funded, in part, by Quik Park President Jacob “Hank” Sopher.

When Bower arrived, a barrage of reporters met her outside the packed restaurant asking how she plans to finance a runoff election. “[The money] will come,” she said. “I think I will be a winner.” The latest campaign disclosure reports show Bower raised $83,651 to date, paling in comparison to Cruz’s $370,409. However, Bower has $42,867 of that left in her war chest while Cruz only has $32,427 remaining, according to the reports.

According to City Clerk Parcher, candidates can use leftover campaign funds to finance the runoff. They must file new financial disclosure forms on Nov. 15.

“I feel very good about this,” said Jeff Bechdel, a Miami-Dade Transit employee and a Bower volunteer. “[Ed] Tobin won. [Jonah] Wolfson won. Big money did not win. Hopefully in two weeks we will have the same result.”

But “I feel great,” she said of the final results. “Now we start again. The residents need to win.”

Moments later, Gross and Mayor David Dermer arrived. “We’re gonna do it!” Dermer announced as he walked in. “Turn this Gone with the Wind music off,” he said, referring to the soundtrack on the county government channel that was displaying the day’s election results. Then, addressing the media, Dermer said, “This is a historic night. We are about to elect the first woman mayor of Miami Beach. She has been outspent by special interests, and she came back. They said she was going nowhere. Not only will she be the first Hispanic mayor, but the first woman Hispanic mayor of our city.”

Bower gave a few almost-tearful words of thanks to family, friends and supporters.

“I especially want to thank all of my supporters who have given me so much, and continue to help me,” Bower said. “These two weeks will be decisive for the residents of Miami Beach. Let us continue to be victorious for two weeks, and the residents will win.”

Simon Cruz cuts a rug with a campaign worker at his Star Island election night bash. Photo by Julia Carfagno

In contrast to Bower’s melting pot of grass-roots supporters, the crowd at Cruz’s celebration at the 10,000-plus-square-foot Star Island home of Jeannette Varela was much more representative of the establishment.

Servers dressed in black and white uniforms handed out finger sandwiches to moneyed A-listers sipping on cocktails, firefighters wearing red T-shirts, police officers and tired, sunburned campaign volunteers. Dressed in an elegant white suit, Mariana Cruz ran around the back terrace greeting guests.

“Right over there is where we were married,” she said, pointing to the edge of the pool overlooking Biscayne Bay, before running off to hug a friend. Cruz and Mariana were married October 15, 2005.

Cocktails in hand, people gathered around flat-screen TVs watching the results trickle in precinct by precinct. With Cruz ahead by a nose, talk among his supporters was cautiously optimistic. When Bower pulled ahead by a few percentage points, they began to speak of a runoff. When the runoff became official, people spoke like they’d expected it all along.

“I figured about eight points for [mayoral candidates William Smatt and Raphael Herman] and Matti and Simon would be close,” said City Manager Jorge Gonzalez, who stopped by nearly every election part on the Beach with City Attorney Jose Smith. Befitting the epic battle that the race for Miami Beach mayor has become, Cruz arrived at his party in a gray suit accompanied by Rocky theme song, redone with jazzy guitar riffs. He smiled and motioned to friends as photographers snapped pictures and supporters surrounded, hugged and kissed him.

“Simon is certainly my choice for the most capable mayor, but it seems all the negative campaigning by Bower has worked,” said Roger Abramson, who unsuccessfully ran for a Miami Beach Commission seat last year.

Citizens Coalition, Inc., a for-profit corporation registered to Christopher E. Benaiges with a Port Orange address, sent mailers attacking Cruz’s commission record. One took aim at his failed $95 million bond proposal to purchase the Miami Heart Institute and turn it into a park. Another said he missed more than 500 commission votes last year. Cruz said he missed many of those votes when his father was in the hospital, dying.

Many of Cruz’s supporters opined that he’d have won if he had been out shaking more hands, so he plans to “hit the streets” to campaign for the runoff.

“It’s been a one-issue campaign and they’ve basically lied to the people of Miami Beach,” Cruz said. “Now what we’ve got to do is explain to the people of Miami Beach the facts. Once you explain, the truth rises and the lies crash.”

Even after the results were in, people stuck around the party, dancing and drinking and carrying on, momentarily shifting their attention to Cruz as he made a few remarks.

“Just one quick moment and then we’ll go back to having a good time,” an upbeat Cruz said through the DJ’s microphone. “It’s about a positive attitude, and we realize this is only the halfway point.” He thanked the police and fire unions for their support, as well as others, including Police Chief Carlos Noriega, club promoter Michael Capponi, Ocean Drive magazine senior writer Jacquelynn D. Powers and abandoned South Shore Hospital owner Russell Galbut. He also thanked his mother Evelia, who was celebrating her 77th birthday the same night.

“I’ll see you here in two weeks and we’re gonna rock the house in two weeks,” Cruz shouted as the salsa beats cranked up. Then he took to the dance floor like a pro.

Jonah Wolfson celebrates along with his wife, mother, and father and room full of supporters at his campaign headquarters in North Beach. Photo by Josh Becker

In a storefront on 71st Street in North Beach, Attorney Jonah Wolfson and his friends, family members and jubilant supporters slurped bottled beers and devoured sandwiches as the final election results rolled in.

Of the 9,238 votes cast in the Group 4 race, Wolfson received 5,115, or 55.4 percent of the vote, while his challenger, Luis Salom, claimed only 4,123, or 44.6 percent.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we aren’t done yet,” Miami Springs Councilman Zavier Garcia told the crowd. “We’re not until I introduce to you the new commissioner of Miami Beach, Jonah Wolfson.”

With that, a room filled with politicos, union activists and old ladies erupted into loud cheers. Wolfson, blushing with emotion, thanked his parents, his family and his supporters. “I look forward to continue the fighting for what the mayor has been fighting for, which is to keep the good people in [city government] and the bad people out.”

Meanwhile, Salom’s campaign party at The Forge on 41st Street had hardly begun. A hostess directed guests to the back bar area, where just two firefighters quietly conversed at the bar, and a slew of servers looked on.

Later, with an antique fire truck parked out front, plastered in Salom’s campaign posters, supporters showed up mostly wearing business attire and guayaberas. One lone woman wore Salom’s campaign shirt. The scene could have been ripped right out of a society column, with members of the local social elite gripping and grinning, sipping cocktails and conversing quietly.

“I think [Salom] has the best combination of a realistic view of contemporary issues and traditional values,” said supporter Glenn Costales, an information technology consultant. “Things are changing rapidly.” He looked at results on the TV screen showing Wolfson in the lead. “There’s always a next time,” he said. “The experience is well worth it, for any candidate.” He added that it wasn’t over for Salom “until the final bell rings.”

When the final bell rang for Salom around 9:30 p.m., firefighters were already ripping the posters off of the fire truck outside. Salom had finally showed up and, in the back of bar, hugged supporters.

Earlier in the day, Salom had been much more talkative. “At the end of the day, win or lose, I can tell my kids that daddy did it honestly and respectfully,” Salom said.

Ed Tobin receives a celebratory phone call from friend and supporter Barry. Photo by Josh Becker

Just a few blocks away, at George’s Restaurant and Lounge, Ed Tobin’s backers crowded around a laptop logged on to Miami-Dade County’s election page while the candidate stood at the doorway shaking hands with well-wishers. “I won already,” he said. “I met so many good people, so many good people who love the city and that makes me love the city more.”

The crowd was cautiously optimistic around 8:30 p.m. when the results still showed incumbent Commissioner Michael Gongora leading with 53 percent of the vote.

Hardly an hour later, when the last nine precincts reported, Tobin had defeated Gongora by a mere 31 votes, or .34 percent, which triggered an automatic recount Wednesday. When Miami-Dade County’s Elections Department Canvassing Board recounted all of the provisional and absentee ballots, it determined Tobin actually won by 33 votes. The results will be certified Friday evening.

Then a twist — Gongora said he may challenge the count. “If there is a legal basis to do so, I will, so the voters get what they want,” Gongora said. He has 10 days to appeal the results.

Nevertheless, Tobin is looking forward to serving the city. “It’s surreal,” a smiling Tobin said as his supporters celebrated outside. When Wolfson came by to congratulate him, the two lawyers embraced outside. “We’re going to do a great fucking job,” Tobin said.

Elsa Urquiza at her election party at Quarterdeck. Photo by John Fennessey

Elsa Urquiza’s gathering at the Quarterdeck on Alton Road was more akin to a family gathering than an election party. A dozen people, including Urquiza’s three sons, conversed as they checked election results on their Blackberries. Every so often a new face entered the dining area to seek out Urquiza, who took an early lead in the Group 6 race.

Urquiza mentioned a mailer depicting her as Dora the Explorer, Frank J. Kruszewski as a Teletubby and Linda Grosz as a Barbie Doll — all with slashes through them — sponsored by a political action committee that did not exist.

“Whoever did this must have took a hard look at me,” Urquiza joked, noting that it captured the sort of jewelry she wore and that she liked to sometimes wear flowers as an accessory. She later added: “I am going to have a Dora the Explorer doll in my office; she brought me luck.”

In the end, Urquiza led with 3,356 votes — not enough for an outright victory. “Everyone here has done so much for me and I am very grateful,” Urquiza told supporters, “but I have to ask again. Two more weeks.”

In North Beach at Café Prima Pasta, plates of bruschetta, blocks of parmesan cheese smothered in olive oil and basil and tall stemmed glasses of Bellini were handed out to friends, family and colleagues of Deede Weithorn while they waited for her to arrive and moved to the sound of the Gypsy Kings.

“She knows city finances as well as or better than anyone else,” said Steve Hertz, vice president of North Shore Development Corporation, who works with Weithorn’s husband Mark. “She’ll make sure the city has a long-range budget, not just year to year.”

After much anticipation, the final results were broadcast at around 9:30 p.m. Of 9,216 total votes, 3,356 to Elsa Urquiza and 3,071 to Weithorn.

Sounds of laughter and hands clapping filled the room as Weithorn arrived with a smile on her face. “Make sure you each call 50 people and we’ll do this again in two weeks,” Weithorn said with her arms held up high. “We have work to do.”

“I don’t think my challenger will come close,” she said of Urquiza. “It’s all about qualification.”

Deede Weithorn mingles with supporters at her election party at Café Prima Pasta in North Beach. Photo by Nicole Alibayof

“We had contingency plans for each candidate and now we know who we’re focusing on,” Mark Weithorn said. “Stay tuned.”

Over at Ouzo’s at Bay Road in South Beach, a slow start to the evening turned out to be a bad omen for Frank Kruszewski.

“I didn’t realize [results came in] every half hour,” Kruszewski said as he ordered an apple martini. “It’s like Chinese water torture.”

Supporters donned white “Frank Kruszewski” polos and his mother, Toni Biola, raved about her son.

“I told everyone in Hollywood and Hallandale about Frank. If they could vote here, he’d win,” Biola said.

Kruszewski acknowledged a few early campaign mistakes, including spending too much money too soon.

Upset supporters said Miami Beach suffered a big loss by not electing Kruszewski, and lamented that they could’ve had the best city commissioner in Miami Beach.

“Frank is not done!” said Charles Perez, a WPLG Channel 10 anchor and Kruszewski’s friend.

-- Nicole Alibayof, Agustina Prigoshin, John M. Fennessey and Erik Bojnansky contributed to this report.