Gelber Overwhelmingly Chosen As Next Miami Beach Mayor

MIAMI BEACH, FL — After a tumultuous election that saw his chief opponent leave the race amid a fundraising scandal, Dan Gelber has been elected the next mayor of Miami Beach. Gelber is the son of former Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber. He succeeds Philip Levine, who recently announced his gubernatorial bid to succeed Rick Scott.

Gelber took some 82 percent of the vote in a four-way race after former Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco dropped his bid over the summer. The former Miami-Dade prosecutor, who at one time looked as though he might become the next mayor of this urban seaside resort, resigned his seat on the commission last month and entered a plea deal over a misdemeanor election crime.

"I’ve been to more than my share of election night celebrations, a few for my campaigns, and a good many for other candidates," Gelber said in an email to supporters following Tuesday's election. "Tonight’s was the most meaningful of them all."

The former Florida state representative said that the victory was a reflection of everyone who knocked on 20,000 doors and made 19,000 calls on his behalf during the campaign.

His opponents in the mayoral race included June E. Savage, Daniel Kahn and Kenneth R. Bereski II.

Earlier in his career, Gelber was appointed one of the nation's youngest federal prosecutors before being selected as the Democratic chief counsel and staff director for the U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, a post that was once held by Bobby Kennedy.

Following his election to the Florida House of Representatives, Gelber was subsequently elected by his colleagues to serve as Democratic Leader.

Photo courtesy of Gelber's campaign