After two years away, Shlomo Danzinger is returning to office as Mayor.
With a full tally of ballots, Danzinger took 50.54% of the vote to defeat Vice Mayor Tina Paul following an extended runoff race in which many voters cast ballots weeks ago on Election Day, but then had to wait until Tuesday to learn who won.
Danzinger’s margin of victory Tuesday was 22 votes.
Almost 59% of Surfside’s 3,446 registered voters participated in the runoff, according to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections website.
Danzinger again replaces outgoing Mayor Charles Burkett, whom he swapped places with in 2022 and 2024.
The two candidates advanced to a runoff March 17 after neither secured a large enough share of the vote — 50% plus 1 — in a three-way contest for Mayor that included former Town Manager and Commissioner Mark Blumstein, who placed last.
But there was an issue: April 7, the date set for the runoff, fell in the middle of Passover, a major holiday during which many traditionally observant Jews are prohibited from activities including driving, writing, and using electronics.
Danzinger, an Orthodox Jew, along with several Jewish organizations, rabbis and local voters, filed an emergency lawsuit in late March to delay the runoff. Citing the First Amendment and Florida’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, they argued the election date imposed a substantial burden on observant Jewish voters and that vote-by-mail wouldn’t solve the issue, since the runoff’s mid-March triggering left little time for absentee ballots to be requested and returned.
Of Surfside’s more than 5,700 residents, an estimated 2,500 are Jewish, with a significant share of them identifying as Orthodox or Conservative.
Danzinger insisted the suit wasn’t inspired by political angling but “the right of every Surfside resident to practice their faith and cast their vote without being forced to choose between the two.”
But the complaint included language suggesting the date was intentionally chosen to disenfranchise a large portion of the electorate, citing a blog post in which Burkett took exception with Danzinger flying Israel’s flag at Town Hall and lamented “a solid 850 … religious voters” whom Danzinger had “frightened and misled into voting for him.”
Paul is also Jewish. Burkett, who is not, told Florida Politics he harbors no ill will toward the Jewish community, members of whom he has lived beside for decades and considers himself an honorary member “by osmosis.” He explained that he took exception with Danzinger “inciting one group against another” and flying a flag representing one religion or nation other than the U.S., but no others.
Paul told the Miami Herald she viewed the complaint as “not just a personal attack” but an insult to her “entire lineage as a Jew,” as it “brought religion into this election in a way that … divides our community rather than bringing it together.”
In a ruling on the eve of Election Day, Judge Lourdes Simon offered a compromise: Voters would still cast ballots on April 7 during planned hours, but the results wouldn’t be released until 7 p.m. April 28, through which vote-by-mail ballots for the contest would be accepted.
Technically, the last mail-in ballot could have been accepted at 6:59 p.m. Tuesday with 1 second before the new hour began.
Danzinger led Paul in vote-by-mail ballots 631 to 455. Paul, meanwhile, led in Election Day ballots 534 to 394.
Danzinger — who in 2022 unseated Burkett, who, in turn, supplanted him two years later — ran this cycle to win back the job he lost amid complaints of Town Hall incivility that saw him narrowly avoid a censure for racially insulting comments he made in 2023.
Just over a month after losing his elected job, the tech, business and political consulting pro launched an unsuccessful bid for Miami-Dade County Mayor. He took 2% of the vote.
Danzinger ran on a platform prioritizing stability and competency. He said that with a win this year, he would work to restore steadiness in town government by retaining experienced staff and practicing fiscal discipline, while securing grants and ensuring public spending delivers tangible improvements.
He also promised to continue expanding parks and recreation amenities, improve pedestrian safety and infrastructure, and resist overdevelopment while protecting residents and condominium owners.
Danzinger, former Vice Mayor Jeffrey Rose, former Town Manager Hector Gomez and ex-Police Chief Antonio Marciante are the subjects of a January lawsuit alleging they orchestrated the arrest of a young Surfside activist in 2024 as retaliation for his political criticism.
The activist, now-20-year-old Joshua Epstein, contends the arrest — on a battery allegation later dropped for lack of evidence — was part of a coordinated effort to silence dissent and violate his First Amendment rights, causing him reputational harm.
Danzinger called the lawsuit politically motivated and suggested it was timed to hurt him politically.
Town records show Danzinger reported raising $56,618 and spending $49,920 through his campaign account through April 17.
Paul reported raising $13,325 and spending all but $528.
Paul was the race’s most experienced officeholder, having served two stints on the Town Commission from 2016 to 2022 and again since 2024.
In her most recent term, she counted as accomplishments her sponsorship or support of measures waiving fees for condominium safety repairs, the creation of a Community Relations Board and Youth Council, upgrades to parks and drainage infrastructure, various community recognition and civic programs, and memorial efforts tied to the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse.
She vowed, if elected Mayor, to prioritize public safety, fiscal responsibility, transparent governance and inclusive leadership that rebuilds trust and collaboration in town government.
Her platform also emphasized carefully managed development that preserves Surfside’s character, environmental resilience for the coastal community, support for small businesses and protecting residents’ quality of life.
“This campaign is about reliability, trust, and restoring confidence in local government, to create a future where Surfside remains a vibrant, caring, and connected town,” her campaign website said. “Tina Paul is running for Mayor to lead with purpose, accountability, and respect for the community she has served for years.”
Danzinger is a Republican. Paul is a Democrat. Surfside elections are officially nonpartisan, though party politics can and often do affect races.