Oliver Gilbert, a Democrat who has served as a Miami-Dade County commissioner since 2020, is his party's nominee for Florida's open 24th congressional district seat in 2026 against Republican Mayonna Te Brown.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Oliver Gilbert.
- Born
- August 15, 1972
- Birthplace
- Miami Gardens, Florida
- Education
- Florida A&M University (Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice)
University of Miami School of Law (Juris Doctor)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Oliver Gilbert was born Oliver G. Gilbert III on August 15, 1972, in Miami Gardens, Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from Florida A&M University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Career
Gilbert entered politics after law school in 2000, when state representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall hired him as a legislative aide, and he later worked as deputy of policy on former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno's campaign for governor.
After working as a prosecutor and then in private practice, he ran for mayor of the newly incorporated City of Miami Gardens in 2003 and lost.
He was appointed to the Miami Gardens council in 2008 and was elected mayor four years later, becoming the second African American to hold the position, and he served as mayor from 2012 to 2020.
In his campaign for the Miami-Dade County Commission, Gilbert faced Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin. He won the August contest with 50.5% of the vote, so no runoff was needed, and he has served as a county commissioner since 2020.
2026 race
Florida's 24th congressional district is open in 2026 because the Democratic incumbent, Frederica Wilson, who was re-elected with 68.2% of the vote in 2024, announced in May 2026 that she would not seek another term.
Wilson withdrew and endorsed Gilbert, who faced six other candidates in the Democratic primary on August 18, 2026, including state senator Shevrin Jones and attorney Kendrick Meek Jr. Gilbert won the nomination with 34.3% of the vote to 32.0% for Jones and 17.3% for Meek.
In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Republican Mayonna Te Brown, an entrepreneur and former candidate for Illinois's 11th congressional district, along with independent candidate Andy Daro.