George Morgan is positioned to become North Miami’s next mayor after a Miami-Dade judge disqualified incumbent Mayor Alix Desulme from the November 3 election over how he paid his candidate qualifying fees. Desulme plans to appeal the ruling, leaving the race at the center of an ongoing legal dispute just days before voters head to the polls.
The decision marks a major development in North Miami politics, where Desulme, a Haitian-American elected official who has served the city for years, was seeking another term as mayor.
Morgan, a first-time candidate and registered Republican, is now the only remaining qualified candidate in the race, unless a higher court intervenes.
How a Dispute Over Qualifying Fees Changed the Election
The legal battle began after Morgan filed an emergency complaint on October 8, challenging the way Desulme paid the fees required to qualify for the mayoral election.
According to the complaint, Desulme submitted two cashier’s checks instead of checks drawn directly from his campaign account.
Morgan argued that the payment method violated Florida’s election requirements and should disqualify Desulme from the race.
Desulme disputed that interpretation, maintaining that his payment was made through a bank-certified check drawn from his campaign account.
The disagreement eventually reached Miami-Dade Circuit Court, where Judge Beatrice Butchko Sanchez ruled that Desulme had not complied with the qualifying requirements.
The decision removed Desulme from the November 3 mayoral election.
The ruling was based on the payment process, not on allegations involving voter fraud or misconduct while serving as mayor.
Desulme Challenges Morgan’s Qualifications
Following his disqualification, Desulme’s legal team raised questions about Morgan’s own qualifying paperwork.
His attorneys alleged that Morgan had underpaid an election assessment fee by 80 cents.
Desulme then asked the court to reopen the candidate qualifying period and allow a special mayoral election to take place in December.
However, the judge rejected that request on Thursday, October 22.
According to the ruling described in local reporting, the court determined that Desulme, having already been disqualified, could not challenge another candidate’s qualifications.
The judge did not issue a ruling on whether Morgan had actually underpaid his qualifying fee.
That distinction is important because the court’s rejection of Desulme’s request does not establish that Morgan’s payment was correct or incorrect.
What Happens to the November 3 Election?
The timing of the court’s decision has created an unusual situation for North Miami voters.
Desulme’s name had already been printed on election ballots before the ruling.
Because he was disqualified after ballots were prepared, election officials must notify voters that the mayoral contest is uncontested under the current court decision.
Unless Desulme obtains an appellate stay or succeeds in overturning the ruling, Morgan is expected to become North Miami’s next mayor without a contested election on November 3.
The situation has raised questions about how election rules are enforced and what happens when a candidate is removed from a race after ballots have already been printed.
Desulme Plans to Appeal
Desulme’s attorney, Ben Kuehne, has said his client intends to challenge the ruling.
Kuehne criticized the outcome, arguing that North Miami residents should have the opportunity to choose their mayor through an election.
He described the possibility of the city having no contested mayoral election as deeply concerning.
An appeal could still affect the outcome if a higher court grants relief before the election results become final.
For now, however, the trial court’s decision remains in place.
Who Is Alix Desulme?
Alix Desulme is a Haitian-American public official who has held several positions in North Miami’s local government.
Before becoming mayor, he served as city clerk and later as a member of the North Miami City Council.
He was appointed mayor in 2022 and subsequently won a full term in December 2024.
His political career has made him a familiar figure in North Miami, a city with a significant Haitian-American population.
His removal from the ballot represents an unexpected turn in a race that was expected to give voters a choice between the incumbent and a political newcomer.
Who Is George Morgan?
George Morgan is a registered Republican making his first run for elected office.
His challenge to Desulme’s qualifying paperwork ultimately led to the court decision that changed the mayoral race.
Following the ruling, Morgan told CBS News Miami that he was not celebrating the outcome.
His comments reflected the unusual circumstances surrounding his expected path to office.
Rather than winning through a traditional head-to-head election, Morgan could become mayor because his opponent was disqualified over a procedural issue.
North Miami Awaits the Outcome of the Appeal
With Election Day approaching, the future of North Miami’s mayoral race now depends largely on the appeals process.
Desulme’s legal team is seeking to challenge the disqualification, while Morgan remains the only qualified candidate under the current ruling.
The case has drawn attention to the importance of campaign qualifying requirements, even when disputes involve the method of payment rather than the amount of money involved.
For North Miami residents, the central question is whether the courts will intervene before November 3 or whether Morgan will take office without facing an opponent on Election Day.
As of October 25, the trial court’s ruling stands, and George Morgan is positioned to become North Miami’s next mayor unless an appellate court changes the outcome.
