Pembroke Pines election heats up as candidates tackle city challenges

Pembroke Pines voters went to the polls March 10 for only two commission races, District 1 and District 4, as the city faced pressure over housing costs, traffic gridlock and an aging police headquarters that needs replacement. Polls were open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., there was no early voting, and residents had to cast ballots at their assigned precincts with valid photo ID.

The contests took place in a city of more than 170,000 residents that is Broward County’s second most populous. Under the city charter, commission elections for Districts 1 and 4 come up every four years, and candidates had to qualify between noon Jan. 2 and noon Jan. 9.

In District 1, incumbent Tom Good faced James Henry, a retired Pembroke Pines police sergeant making his first run for office, and Dennis Hinds, an insurance agent with prior campaign experience. Henry filed a statement of candidacy on Oct. 2, 2025, then submitted qualifying paperwork and a campaign treasurer and depository form on Jan. 8, 2026, with a $1,326.46 qualifying payment tied to a Wells Fargo account at 12440 Pines Blvd. Hinds filed notice on Oct. 22, 2025, and listed a Bank of America depository in Miramar.

Good pointed to a proposed $230 million bond issue that would have paid for a new police station, park upgrades, sidewalks and other projects. Voters rejected it by 65% in March 2025.

District 4 paired incumbent Vice Mayor Michael Hernández with Elizabeth “Liz” Burns, an event planner making another run for the commission. Hernández was appointed in May 2024 to fill a vacancy, later won a full term and was re-elected in March 2026 with 75% of the vote. He introduced a charter amendment requiring commission appointments to fill vacancies, pushed for fully funded school resource officers, backed the city’s autism-friendly designation and opposed a Florida Power & Light rate increase.