Vicki Lopez and Rob Piper will face each other on the November ballot for Miami-Dade County Commission District 5. Lopez is the only one of eight incumbent commissioners who faced an election this year whose race is still undecided.
Lopez fell short of the 50% needed to win the August primary outright. Piper finished second ahead of former Miami city commissioner Joe Sanchez, despite spending far less than either opponent. The other seven incumbents either ran unopposed or won their primaries without a runoff.
District 5 includes parts of Miami and Miami Beach. Lopez, 68, is a Republican and former state lawmaker appointed to the seat in November 2025 after Eileen Higgins left it to run for Miami mayor. Piper, 54, is a Democrat, a retired Marine and a former Miami City Commission candidate. The county race is officially nonpartisan.
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