A Miami Gardens elected official is moving quickly to fill a seat that one of South Florida’s most prominent Democratic officeholders may soon be leaving.
City Council member Linda Julien announced is running for the Miami-Dade County Commission’s District 1 seat, citing Commissioner Oliver Gilbert’s not-yet-announced decision to seek higher office.
Gilbert, a former Miami Gardens Mayor and County Commission Chair, won re-election unopposed in 2024 to a second and final four-year term at County Hall. But he’s rumored to be strongly mulling a run for Florida’s 24th Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson said she is leaving the seat.
“Commissioner Oliver Gilbert has been a towering advocate for the people of Miami Gardens and District 1 — from his years as our Mayor to his leadership on the County Commission,” Julien said in a statement.
“Now, District 1 needs experienced, community-rooted leadership to build on that progress and continue delivering results for our residents.”
The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Julien holds a degree in public administration from Florida International University and a master’s degree in the same field from Florida Atlantic University.
Before winning her Miami Gardens City Council seat in 2020, she served on Miami-Dade County’s Affordable Housing Board — appointed by the late Miami-Dade Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle — and built a career spanning economic development, contract compliance, procurement and public policy.
She is a licensed real estate professional who serves on the Board of Governors for Florida Realtors and the Miami Association of Realtors.
Beyond her elected and professional roles, Julien works as an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College, teaching government-focused courses.
Gilbert, a Miami Gardens-born lawyer who served as the city’s Mayor from 2012 until winning his County Commission seat in 2020, has been discussed as a potential candidate for CD 24, which includes Miami Gardens and Miramar in Miami-Dade, and Hollywood and Pembroke Pines in Broward County.
State Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami Gardens, who announced this week that he will not seek re-election to his Senate seat, is also seen as a likely CD 24 candidate. Repeat congressional candidate Rudy Moise filed for the contest Wednesday after dropping a prior bid for nearby Florida’s 20th Congressional District.
All are Democrats. The filing deadline for the Aug. 18 Primary is June 12.
CD 24 remains deeply blue under the new congressional map signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, making the Democratic Primary the race that will effectively determine Wilson’s successor.
District 1, which covers northern Miami-Dade including Miami Gardens, is a nonpartisan seat whose elections follow the same structure as other County Commission races — all candidates face off in an August Primary, with a November runoff if no one clears 50%.
Gilbert’s current term runs through November 2028, meaning a departure for Congress would leave the seat vacant before its natural end.
Julien, in her announcement, pledged to continue Gilbert’s work on affordable housing, public safety and economic opportunity.
“The work Commissioner Gilbert started deserves a committed successor,” she said. “I look forward to campaigning hard to earn the support and vote of the residents of District 1.”
Gilbert himself is a formidable figure in Miami-Dade Democratic politics. Born and raised in Miami Gardens, he holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Florida A&M University and a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, where he was a member of the Black Law Students Association.
He served as Chair of the 13-member County Commission during the 2022-24 term.
The General Election is Nov. 3.
