Less you were forgetting that there is an election in Miami this November, District 5 commission candidate Michael Hepburn — who ran for Congress as a Democrat in 2018 — is ramping things up.
On Thursday, he unveiled his Hepburn-On-The-Block campaign, with a plan to walk every block in all 37 precincts starting Monday and ending by the end of March. That’s a lot of blocks in 31 days.
It’s a listening tour and stump speech wrapped into one. Hepburn wants to listen to the concerns on issues facing Miami but also share his vision of moving the city forward with voters and business owners.
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“My candidacy is about putting people first and I believe in having a comprehensive understanding of the needs of each neighborhood.” Hepburn said in a statement.
“I’m walking block-by-block to spread my message of how we will create tuition-free college for our city public high school graduates; safe and sustainable neighborhoods; cultivate economic and workforce development; and ensure that our mayor and city government make good on their promise to rehab and develop 12,000 units of Affordable Housing by 2024.
“And I am committed to lacing up my sneakers everyday ’til election day to do so.”
Michale Hepburn, candidate for Miami City Commission, District 5
Hepburn, who has lived in the district for 20 years and in the city for 34, will practice social distancing for his block-to-block campaign and distribute hand sanitizer packets to stay safe from COVID-19, something he’s been doing for months already.
He came in last, with only 6%, in the five-way 2018 Democratic primary for congressional district 27, eventually won by Donna Shalala. So, does he just want to be elected somewhere?
“I actually asked our voters to decide what I should run for,” Hepburn told Ladra. “Back in early 2020, I conducted three exploratory committees and asked our voters should I try to serve in the Florida House, Congress, or our Miami City Commission. And the overwhelming response was Miami City Commission.
Read related: A dozen apply for Miami Commission appointment, but some say the fix is in
“The majority of folks felt the Florida House is a waste of time and that Congress is not effective and it’s too slow to deliver on anything substantial. People felt my skill-set will really move our District and City forward,” Hepburn said.
He filed paperwork in March of last year and has raised just over $21,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Hepburn is running for the seat currently occupied by Commissioner Jeffrey Watson, who was appointed in November after Keon Hardemon resigned to become a county commissioner. Watson said back then — he was grilled on the matter by Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla — that he would not run for the seat in November. But there’s nada to hold him to that.
Diaz de la Portilla likes Christine King, the perceived front runner in a seven-way race (so far) who has raised more than $103K so far.
Hepburn is going to have to knock on more than one door on each block if he wants to beat her. Even Watson, the defacto incumbent, could have a hard time beating King if he decided he loves the job and doesn’t want it to end yet.
Miami city commission hopeful plans to walk every block in District 5 in March added by Ladra on
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