With the midterm elections just around the corner, there are various key concerns at the top of voters’ minds that they want to see addressed.
Cost of living, immigration, affordable healthcare and the environment are paramount.
Below are thoughts about what a team of Reporter writers believe will influence voters decisions on election day:
Cost of Living
Many Miami residents have considered leaving their hometown. Why?
Prices of essentials like housing, groceries and transportation have increased significantly, leading locals to feel frustrated.
Only in Dade—an Instagram account many locals stayed tuned to—made a post titled ‘Top 10 Most Expensive Metros In America.’ It ranked Miami as No. 2.
Users said in the comments: “Y’all voted for these rental laws, or lack thereof,” and “Thank you New Yorkers.”
Others said the ranking simply wasn’t true.
Newer developments and migrants from other states, especially after COVID-19, are pushing lower-income residents out of neighborhoods they’ve always lived in.
Many renters are living paycheck-to-paycheck, spending at least 30% of their income on housing alone, according to an article in the Miami Herald published in July. From 2019 to 2024, rent for two bedroom apartments in Miami went from $1,454 to $2,324, while median household income grew slower.
Miami-Dade County officials need to prioritize their residents, not transplants from other states or tech companies. They should invest in building more affordable housing near public transit stops and fund more non-profit organizations to fix up unused, older buildings.
While development helps the city grow, that growth is useless if residents can’t afford to stay.
—Robert Robati
Immigration
Immigration policies remain at the forefront of Miami residents’ minds.
Agreements between local governments and ICE have created a deep divide within the community. It has resulted in 70% revenue drops for Doral businesses, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga told CBS News Miami.
Beyond economic strain, these immigrant policies are leading city residents to question public trust and how taxpayer dollars are being allocated into federal operations that harm the community rather than local policing.
Voters hold starkly opposing views on the topic.
“There should be enforcement of the law,” Miami Dade College philosophy professor Mark Neunder said. “If I’m asked to choose between not enforcing the law of the land and distrust in the community by lawbreakers, let there be distrust in the community by the lawbreakers.”
However, a Harvard research found that the disapproval rate of ICE has increased on a national level.
“When you’re going into the ballots, you have to realize that the decision you’re making isn’t going to only affect you. [It] can either hurt or help a lot of people,” said 18-year-old MDC student Maximo Anderson, who will be a first-time voter.
Miami-Dade County, with more than half of the population being foreign-born according to the U.S. Census Bureau, must carefully consider the implications of the federal-local agreement. The distrust surrounding ICE undermines our identity as an international hub. Funding these operations harms the immigrants who keep our community alive and afloat.
—Samantha Tome
Healthcare
For millions of Miami-Dade residents, having health care insurance does not make healthcare easy to access.
“A few years ago, I used to have free healthcare under a plan with my parents, but now it costs way too much, which makes it so I can’t have reliable healthcare,” said MDC student Madison Ramos.“I would vote for a candidate that makes healthcare cheaper and prioritizes it.”
Rising insurance costs and limited coverage options among many other complications, leaves residents across Miami delaying care or facing debt.
Florida is one of 10 states that have not adopted the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion for low-income families.
61% of voters say healthcare costs will have a major impact on which party’s candidates they support in the midterms, according to KFF, an independent source for health policy research, and polling. Rising premiums could then create political pressure for electability.
The issue is being addressed locally. The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County lists Access to Care as one of five priorities in its 2025-2030 Community Health Improvement Plan. The county also offers discounted services to eligible uninsured and underinsured residents. Though significant, it’s not enough.
With the midterms approaching, healthcare should be treated as a key part of the political conversation. Having access to healthcare means little if people can’t afford to use it when they need it.
—Robert Rojas
Environment
Despite Miami-Dade’s proximity to and reliance on the Everglades, it’s rarely considered in local politics.
Out of 58 proposed referendums and three proposed Constitutional Amendments on the Official Primary Ballot for this election cycle, only six have any relation to environmental topics.
Among those six, none mention anything about protecting our environment. They mostly consist of the sale or purchase of land to be used as parks and recreational facilities.
Last week, the Environmentally Endangered Lands county program narrowly avoided a nearly 15 million dollar budget cut, largely in part to the efforts of conservational groups which take it upon themselves to protect our environments when commissioners and politicians do not.
In Miami 92% of buildings are at risk of flooding and 73% will flood by nearly two feet in coming years, according to a Miami climate risk assessment by the Climate Check Group.
While the city’s population continues to rise, further development will expand into the wetlands. Thus more people, especially minorities, will be put at increased risk due to things that are out of their control.
When asked about their opinion regarding the way Miami-Dade County treats wildlife, many students at the College are indifferent or unaware. However, most agree that more can be done to protect wildlife.
—Bryan Perez
To share what’s on your mind as the midterm elections draw near, send us an email to mdc.thereporter@gmail.com
