Runoff for Mayor, recount for Commissioner appear likely in Surfside after Tuesday election

Races for Mayor and Town Commissioner in Surfside will likely go to a runoff and a recount, respectively, after too-close-to-call election results that partially denied residents clear winners on Tuesday.

With the town’s lone precinct reporting full numbers and a partial tally of vote-by-mail ballots, former Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger had 49.3% of the vote, less than 50%-plus-one necessary to seize victory outright. He and Vice Mayor Tina Paul, who captured 36.3% of the vote, will likely compete in an April 7 runoff to determine who will succeed outgoing Mayor Charles Burkett.

Florida Politics contacted Danzinger and Paul for comment. This report will be updated.

For former Town Manager and Commissioner Mark Blumenstein, who received a 14.4% share of the vote, it’s the end of the road.

And in an at-large race for four seats on the Town Commission, candidates Donna Benmergui, Dovid “David” Weingot and Andrea Travani took 15.8%, 15.7% and 14.7% to win. But a recount is likely to be held for the fourth-place spot between Gerardo Vildostegui, the only incumbent running among eight candidates, and challenger Yonathan Berdugo.

As of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Voldostegui had 14.4% of the vote, while Berdugo had 14.1%. State law mandates recounts if the margin of victory between candidates is less than 0.5% of the total votes cast. The difference here, representing 16 votes, is 0.3%.

Others who ran for Town Commission seats but appeared to fall short on Election Day included William Blumenkranz, Jocelyn Kinzer and Fred Landsman, who took 6.6%, 11.6% and 7% of the vote, respectively.

Vote tallies for the Mayor’s race and Commission election will shift overnight as more mail-in ballots are counted. The changes may be enough to prevent runoff, a recount, or both.

Voters in Surfside also weighed in on two referendums, approving one and voting down the other.

They approved, with 65% support, for a charter amendment to move Surfside’s municipal elections from March to November of even-numbered years beginning in 2028, aligning them with the General Election cycle. Under the change, any future Runoff Election — except this one — will be held on the second Tuesday of December, and officials elected in 2026 will serve extended terms until November 2028 to transition to the new schedule.

But they rejected another proposed amendment, with 54% voting “no,” that would have required a 4-1 supermajority vote by the Town Commission to approve any zoning changes affecting the floor area ratio of single-family homes in the H30A and H30B districts.

Danzinger — who in 2022 unseated Burkett, who, in turn, supplanted him two years later — ran this cycle to win back the job he lost amid complaints of Town Hall incivility that saw him narrowly avoid a censure for racially insulting comments he made in 2023.

Just over a month after losing his elected job, the tech, business and political consulting pro launched an unsuccessful bid for Miami-Dade County Mayor. He took 2% of the vote.

Danzinger ran on a platform prioritizing stability and competence. He said that with a win on Tuesday, he would work to restore stability in town government by retaining experienced staff and practicing fiscal discipline, while securing grants and ensuring public spending delivers tangible improvements.

He also promised to continue expanding parks and recreation amenities, improve pedestrian safety and infrastructure, and resist overdevelopment while protecting residents and condominium owners.

Danzinger, former Vice Mayor Jeffrey Rose, former Town Manager Hector Gomez and ex-Police Chief Antonio Marciante are the subjects of a recently filed lawsuit alleging they orchestrated the arrest of a young Surfside activist in 2024 as retaliation for his political criticism.

The activist, now-20-year-old Joshua Epstein, contends the arrest — on a battery allegation later dropped for lack of evidence — was part of a coordinated effort to silence dissent and violate his First Amendment rights, causing him reputational harm.

Danzinger has said the lawsuit is politically motivated and timed to hurt him politically.

He reported raising $39,000 and spending $23,000 through his campaign account through Friday. Blumstein reported collecting about $17,000 and spending $3,000, while Paul raised $7,000 and spent all but $900.

Paul was the race’s most experienced officeholder, having served two stints on the Town Commission from 2016 to 2022 and again since 2024.

In her most recent term, she counted as accomplishments her sponsorship or support of measures waiving fees for condominium safety repairs, the creation of a Community Relations Board and Youth Council, upgrades to parks and drainage infrastructure, various community recognition and civic programs, and memorial efforts tied to the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse.

She vowed, if elected Mayor, to prioritize public safety, fiscal responsibility, transparent governance and inclusive leadership that rebuilds trust and collaboration in town government.

Paul’s platform also emphasized carefully managed development that preserves Surfside’s character, environmental resilience for the coastal community, support for small businesses and protecting residents’ quality of life.

Blumstein, a retired U.S. Navy JAG officer and longtime lawyer, boasted a public civil service background that extended beyond Surfside’s bounds, having previously served as a Circuit Court Judge from 2017 to 2023.

He served as Town Manager from December 2024 to October 2025, when Commissioners voted 3-2 to fire him. Paul was among those who supported his ouster, which came amid accusations that he acted unprofessionally and was resistant to Commission directives.

Blumstein had previously served on the Town Commission from 2008 to 2012.

He promised, with a win Tuesday, to prioritize fiscal responsibility, adherence to the law and restoring trust in local government while protecting Surfside’s low-density zoning and community character.

He also pledged to address flooding and sewage issues, lower water and sewer costs, enhance public safety through regional cooperation, improve traffic management, and pursue new town recreation facilities.

Danzinger — who in 2022 unseated Burkett, who, in turn, supplanted him two years later — ran this cycle to win back the job he lost amid complaints of Town Hall incivility that saw him narrowly avoid a censure for racially insulting comments he made in 2023.

Just over a month after losing his elected job, the tech, business and political consulting pro launched an unsuccessful bid for Miami-Dade County Mayor. He took 2% of the vote.

Danzinger ran on a platform prioritizing stability and competence. He said that with a win on Tuesday, he would work to restore stability in town government by retaining experienced staff and practicing fiscal discipline, while securing grants and ensuring public spending delivers tangible improvements.

He also promised to continue expanding parks and recreation amenities, improve pedestrian safety and infrastructure, and resist overdevelopment while protecting residents and condominium owners.

Danzinger, former Vice Mayor Jeffrey Rose, former Town Manager Hector Gomez and ex-Police Chief Antonio Marciante are the subjects of a recently filed lawsuit alleging they orchestrated the arrest of a young Surfside activist in 2024 as retaliation for his political criticism.

The activist, now-20-year-old Joshua Epstein, contends the arrest — on a battery allegation later dropped for lack of evidence — was part of a coordinated effort to silence dissent and violate his First Amendment rights, causing him reputational harm.

Danzinger has said the lawsuit is politically motivated and timed to hurt him politically.

He reported raising $39,000 and spending $23,000 through his campaign account through Friday. Blumstein reported collecting about $17,000 and spending $3,000, while Paul raised $7,000 and spent all but $900.