Alex Lama wins  the election in Sunny Isles Beach

Alex Lama is a republican and political newcomer that works in advertising finished with about 61 percent of the vote, and defeated David Grossman a lease broker who described himself as a libertarian. Turnout for the election was really low : in a city of 22,000 people, where approximately 10,000 people are registered to vote Just 1,800 voters casted their ballots. In the commission race on November 6, more than 4,800 people voted

During the campaign, Lama  addressed pedestrian safety and traffic issues and to advocate for “reasonable” development. Pedestrian safety became a key issue for the residents of  Sunny Isles Beach this summer after a car veered onto the sidewalk along Collins Avenue and crashed into a bus stop where a family was waiting, killing a 34-year-old father of two and injuring his wife and daughters.

Lama has never held political office, but  he has served on the city’s resident advisory committee since April and volunteers with the Parent Teacher Student Association at Sunny Isles Beach K-8 Center. He was elected to Seat 2 on the nonpartisan five-member commission, a seat that represents a swath of the city between 172nd and 178th streets.

Lama was the favored candidate among developers, who play a significant role in the economy of Sunny Isles Beach, a 1.5-mile strip of land on the coast of northern Miami-Dade County that is known for its high-priced real estate. The candidate raised more than $68,000, much of which came from real estate developers. Grossman, who  is also  a political newcomer, raised roughly $6,400, of which he loaned himself $1,300.

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But Grossman  has run  into trouble with Florida regulators before  and owes the state a $32,000 fine, a record that became an issue during the campaign when prominent residents, including the mayor’s wife, sent letters to voters detailing Grossman’s legal troubles.

The Florida Office of Financial Regulation found  in 2015, that Grossman had tricked investors into believing they could buy stock in the popular video game company Virgin Gaming, records show.

This  runoff , took place, since non of the  three candidates who ran for Seat 2 in the Nov. 6 elections, secured more than 50 percent of the vote,