WASHINGTON (JTA) — Wayne Messam, the mayor of a small city in Florida’s south who is the latest to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, is traveling to Israel and the West Bank.
Messam, the mayor of Miramar, will meet next week with Israeli officials, Knesset members, human rights NGOs, Palestinian leaders and settlers. The announcement of his trip Friday comes just two days after he announced his candidacy.
Messam, who just completed a term as president of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, is a long shot, but he is not the only mayor of a small town among the 15 or so contenders for the Democratic nod.
Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is also running; according to the 2010 census, South Bend had a population of just over 100,000, while Miramar’s was about 120,000.
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
- Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
- Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
- Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNation streaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join The Times of Israel Community
JOIN NOW
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
