Robaina, Gimenez Topping Field in Miami-Dade Mayoral Election

Julio Robaina and Carlos Gimenez were leading in the 11-way race for Miami-Dade mayor Tuesday night.

Robaina, the Hialeah mayor who was endorsed by the Latin Builders Association, had 33.8 percent of the vote, with 677 of 829 precincts reporting. County Commissioner Gimenez garnered 28.7 percent.

The top two candidates will advance to a runoff.

The only other mayoral hopefuls in double figures were former state Rep. Marcelo Llorente (14.8 percent) and ex-rapper Luther Campbell (11.4 percent).

Tuesday's special election also featured a handful of other races and a series of charter-reform amendments.

Norman Braman, the South Florida auto magnate who led the recall campaign that ousted Carlos Alvarez from the mayor's post, did not endorse in the mayoral contest and urged voters to reject all six charter amendments, which he accused commissioners of adulterating for political advantage.

Only one amendment -- restricting the lobbying by elected officials -- was passing, barely.

Esteban Bovo, who was endorsed by Braman, was handily winning County Commission seat 13.

Jose Oliva was edging Frank Lago in state House district 110 to succeed Bovo.

Thanks to Miami-Dade's strong Cuban vote, all the leading candidates Tuesday night were Republicans. That ended the Democrats' modest string of victories in the Tampa and Jacksonville mayoral elections this year.