2025 Legislative Council Election: Voters in Tai Po Hope that the Elected Legislators can Help the Victims Rebuild their Homes

Due to the impact of the fire at Wang Fuk Court, the locations of three polling stations in Tai Po have been adjusted. One of them was changed to Hong Kong Teachers' Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School. Early in the morning, many residents in Tai Po came to vote, hoping that the newly elected legislators could help the victims of the Tai Po fire rebuild their homes and get rid of the emotional shadow as soon as possible.

Ms Sit, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms Sit hoped that the elected legislators would do their best to assist the residents of Wang Fuk Court through these difficult times. Since one of her friends passed away in the tragic fire, she has been in a very heavy mood for several days, which has made her unable to sleep or eat well. In her eyes, if the newly elected legislators can find out the cause of the fire as soon as possible and bring justice to the victims, that will be an important step towards healing the residents affected by the fire.

Paul, Photo by Bastille Post

At the same polling station, Paul, a Tai Po resident who used to be a public servant and is now retired, came to vote. He hoped that the newly elected legislators could contribute to the future rebuilding and demolition of Wang Fuk Court.

Mr Chan, Photo by Bastille Post

The Tai Po resident, Mr Chan, hoped that his vote could help to elect the ideal legislators, who could help the residents affected by the Tai Po fire rebuild their homes and get out of the shadow of the disaster soon.

Mr Ling, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr Ling, who works in the food and beverage industry, said that he came to vote after finishing jogging in the morning. He hoped that the elected legislators could focus on solving specific community problems. According to him, his voting decisions would be mainly based on the past performance of the candidates' political parties.

A new polling station in Tai Po: Law Ting Pong Secondary School, Photo by Bastille Post

Since three polling stations in Tai Po have been moved to new locations: Hong Kong Teachers' Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School, Sung Tak Wong Kin Sheung Memorial School, and Law Ting Pong Secondary School, many voters took the free shuttle buses arranged by the Registration and Electoral Office, carrying all their family members from Tai Po Community Centre to Law Ting Pong Secondary School to vote in the morning.

Many voters took the free shuttle buses to the new polling stations to vote. Photo by Bastille Post

Many voters took the free shuttle buses to the new polling stations to vote. Photo by Bastille Post

Ms Tong, who took the bus from Tai Po Community Centre to Law Ting Pong Secondary School to vote, said that she hoped to fulfil her civic duty and help the residents affected by the Tai Po fire rebuild their homes by casting her vote. In her eyes, the legislative council election, held as scheduled after the fire disaster, can help to elect new legislators who can engage in the reconstruction work in the disaster-stricken area and help the victims return to their normal life and work pace as soon as possible. She hoped that the elected legislators could assist in offering the disaster victims a place to live.

Ms Tong, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms Lee, who lives in Kwong Wai House of Kwong Fuk Estate, came to vote in Sung Tak Wong Kin Sheung Memorial School. She said that she and her family were not affected by the fire. In her eyes, since "the legislative council election always needs to be held", she hoped the newly elected legislators could be engaged in their work of post-disaster reconstruction soon.  "No matter what aspect, I hope the elected legislators can help the residents in Tai Po recover from the tragic fire soon, since everyone is heartbroken about the losses in the disaster."

Ms Lee, Photo by Bastille Post

As of 3:30 p.m., the cumulative number of voters in the northeastern New Territories, including Tai Po District, was 83,359, with a turnout rate of 18.72%. It's currently the electoral district with the lowest turnout rate in Hong Kong. As of 4:30 p.m., the newly set up polling station for the residents of Wang Fuk Court, Hong Kong Teachers' Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School, welcomed 3,021 voters, with a turnout rate of 19.76%, while the one at Law Ting Pong Secondary School had a cumulative number of voters reaching 2,245, with a turnout rate of 18.5%.

A new polling station in Tai Po: Law Ting Pong Secondary School, Photo by Bastille Post

MIAMI (AP) — It has been nearly three decades since a Democrat held the mayor’s office in Miami, a span of futility the party is hoping to reverse during a special runoff election this week in one of the last electoral showdowns before next year’s midterms.

While it is a local race, this election has become the latest test of the nation’s political mood nearly a year into President Donald Trump’s second term.

Trump and other big-name Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott, have weighed in for the conservative candidate, former city manager Emilio Gonzalez, in the otherwise nonpartisan race. Nationally known Democrats, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have offered support on behalf of Eileen Higgins, a Democrat who served on the county commission before winning a runoff spot last month.

An upset for the Democrats on Tuesday would give the party an additional burst of momentum heading into a crucial election year when control of Congress will be at stake, especially in a region that has become increasingly friendly turf for Republicans and where Trump plans to build his presidential library.

Higgins, who lives in the Cuban enclave of Little Havana and had represented a district that leans conservative, proudly wears the label of “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use for white Americans. A Spanish speaker herself, Higgins has focused her campaign relentlessly on local issues such as the cost of housing while capitalizing on national ones, including the treatment of immigrants under the Trump administration in a city with sizable Hispanic and foreign-born populations.

“I have been a Democrat serving in a primarily Republican district, and all I have done is work for the people,” she told The Associated Press.

Miami is Florida’s second most populous city, behind Jacksonville, but is the epicenter of the state’s diverse culture and is among the nation’s most prominent international destinations, giving its mayor an outsize platform.

The city of 487,000 is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, handily defeating Democrat Kamala Harris after losing the county to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. A loss for Gonzalez would be perceived in Florida as a setback for the GOP and Trump.

Christian Ulvert, Higgins’ campaign manager, said early returns of mail ballots are encouraging. About 44% had been cast by registered Democrats as of Thursday, a day before early in-person voting began, compared with about 30% by registered Republicans.

“What you’re seeing is great Democratic enthusiasm and turnout that matches that enthusiasm,” he said.

Higgins, who would be the first non-Hispanic mayor of Miami in almost 30 years if elected, said she is confident she will receive support not only from Democrats, but also from unaffiliated voters and some Republicans because of her work as an elected official.

Her pitch to voters includes finding city-owned land that could be turned into affordable housing and cutting unnecessary spending. She was asked during a recent forum sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce if she would try to turn the more ceremonial role of mayor into a full-time job and not take on other work, something that raised ethical concerns for the current mayor, term-limited Francis Suarez.

“I do not have outside employment now. I was a full-time commissioner. I’m going to be a full-time mayor,” Higgins said as the interviewer continued to press her about whether that meant not accepting any outside employment.

In a blunt-talking style, Higgins responded sternly: “All right, do I have to say it more clearly? No! It’s a full-time job.”

While Latino voters nationally have traditionally leaned Democratic, Republicans in Florida have found strong backing among Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan immigrants, who resist socialist inclinations likened to the ones from the governments they fled. Trump tapped into those sentiments in winning Miami-Dade County last year, a turnaround from his 30 percentage point loss there to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Yet some Florida Republicans began sounding the alarm after November’s elections, when Democrats secured wins in nationally watched governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. Both winning candidates had strong performances with nonwhite voters, and the Democratic winner in the New Jersey race received two-thirds of the Hispanic vote, according to the AP Voter Poll.

Those results were largely seen as a reflection of concerns over rising prices and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.

U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district includes the city of Miami, called the elections elsewhere a “wake-up call.” Ileana Garcia, a Florida state senator who in 2016 founded the group Latinas for Trump, has said about immigration arrests that “what we are witnessing is inhumane.”

Gonzalez, a former director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under Republican President George W. Bush, said during a debate sponsored by Miami's CBS affiliate that he supported immigration arrests against those who committed crimes. But he demurred when the moderator said most of those arrested had not committed violent offenses: “But this is a federal issue," Gonzalez said. "This is not an issue that has to do with the mayor of Miami.”

Higgins has spoken about Miami’s signing on to a federal program that delegates immigration authority to local police, county sheriffs and state agencies and said she would find legal options to unwind that decision to rebuild trust between residents and law enforcement.

“When we start to enforce whatever shenanigans is coming out of the federal government to just randomly pick people up, we could erode that trust,” she said.

Higgins has received support from Florida Democrats looking to show the party still has a foothold in the formerly swing state.

Some Democrats who could be considering a presidential run in 2028 also are backing her campaign. Buttigieg encouraged voters in a video to make a plan to vote for her, and U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona planned to join her on Sunday for early voting stops.

Many of the local issues at play in the race resonate nationally, including income inequality and one of the nation’s least affordable housing markets.

Gustavo Ascani, a 30-year-old Miami voter, said the city has long-standing problems that need addressing. He said he has not decided whom he will vote for, but said tackling homelessness and traffic is a priority for him.

“Maybe Republicans have overlooked, after having locally been in power for so long, certain issues that are important for the people in Miami,” Ascani said.

Robin Peguero, a former prosecutor who is running for the chance to challenge Salazar for her congressional seat, said voters’ concerns center around affordability, an issue that has become a focal point of both parties after Democrats' wins in New Jersey and Virginia.

That includes the sharp health insurance premium spikes expected to start Jan. 1 after subsidies under the Affordable Care Act expire. The Obama-era health law remains popular in South Florida, and recent polling shows most people who will be affected by the increases blame Trump and Republicans.

“It’s kitchen table issues, whether it’s an election for local officials or whether there is an election for the president,” Peguero said. “It’s a rejection of what is happening in this country.”

Gustavo Ascani, a digital content creator, speaks about the upcoming Miami mayor runoff election, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and candidate for Miami mayor Eileen Higgins, speaks at a Miami Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

FILE - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, right, laughs with Emilio Gonzalez, director and chief executive officer of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, center, and Jose "Pepe" Diaz, Miami-Dade County commissioner, left, after a news conference at Miami International Airport, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and candidate for Miami mayor Eileen Higgins, speaks at a Miami Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)