The city of North Miami Beach’s special mayoral race is in high gear. Now that the qualifying period has officially closed, residents have one month to weigh out potential candidates before the Dec. 5 election. Although pickings are slim in quantity, residents may find that both names on the ballot hold some weight. Evan Scott Piper and Paule Villard, both former commissioners with decades of community involvement behind them, are the only two candidates running. A third candidate, David Zapen, whose platform included building a basic income for North Miami Beach residents, pulled his name from the race before the qualifying period closed Oct. 21.

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