Oliver Gilbert is likely headed to Washington D.C. as the next U.S. representative for Florida’s 24th Congressional District. Whether his political allies in Miami Gardens tighten their grip on City Hall will depend on a run-off on the same day Gilbert punches his ticket to the Capitol.
The Nov. 3 contest between educator Mykita Cherry-Prime and financial professional Roderick “Rod” Mack is more than a choice between two first-time council hopefuls. It offers voters an opportunity to disrupt the city’s political status quo — or strengthen it. The winner will represent Residential Area Seat 4 for a four-year term.
Cherry-Prime has the backing of Gilbert, Mayor Rodney Harris, Vice Mayor Robert Stephens III and Councilmember Linda Julien. Her election would give that alliance a fourth vote on the seven-member council, potentially preserving Gilbert’s influence over city decisions even after he leaves county government.
Gilbert, Miami Gardens’ mayor from 2012 to 2020 and now a Miami-Dade county commissioner, is favored to win Florida’s overwhelmingly Democratic 24th Congressional District. He faces Republican Te Mayonna Brown in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson. A congressional victory could expand his political reach. But a Cherry-Prime victory could help maintain his foothold at home.
Cherry-Prime enters the runoff with an electoral edge. She captured 45.9 percent in the August election, compared with approximately 40.5 percent for Mack. Both are seeking the seat previously held by Katrina Wilson, who resigned to pursue a Miami-Dade School Board seat.
A teacher and department chair at Miami Norland Senior High School, Cherry-Prime previously ran for the council seat in 2022. Her community work includes chairing the FAMU National Alumni Association’s Scholarship and Recruitment Committee and serving on the Center for Family and Child Enrichment’s board. She has emphasized workforce housing, homebuyer assistance and career pathways for young residents.
Her own housing history includes three eviction lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2024, according to Miami-Dade County court records reviewed by The Miamian.
In 2017, then-landlord Advenir at Walden Lake obtained a final judgment for repossession of her rental unit after alleging she failed to pay $1,416 for one month’s rent. In September 2024, another landlord dismissed an eviction lawsuit involving a rental outside Miami Gardens’ city limits. Cherry-Prime subsequently moved into her parents’ three-bedroom Miami Gardens house, which she listed as her permanent address on her qualifying paperwork.
2017 final judgment against Mykita Cherry-Prime
Mack, a former University of Miami linebacker, brings more than two decades of finance experience and a record of youth mentorship. He co-founded the Miami Gardens Ravens Youth Football Academy in 2010. His platform includes paid internships, neighborhood infrastructure improvements and denser development in designated areas to expand housing options while protecting established residential neighborhoods.
He also has political support: former rival Angela Maria Wynter and former Councilmember Reggie Leon endorsed him after August’s election. That makes this less a contest between an insider and a political novice than a struggle between competing local alliances.
Roderick “Rod” Mack could upset the status quo on the Miami Gardens City Council if he beats Mykita Cherry-Prime.
For voters seeking a different balance of power, Mack offers an alternative to the Gilbert-backed coalition. Cherry-Prime offers that coalition the vote it needs to consolidate control.
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