Gelber introduced Judge Marilyn Milian (of the TV show The People's Court) to her husband John Schlesinger at a local bar one Friday night.

Currently, Gelber lives in Miami Beach with his wife, Joan Silverstein, a federal prosecutor, and their three children: Sophie, Hannah, and Max.

[citation needed] Gelber's career in public service started at the age of twenty-five, when he was appointed as one of the youngest federal prosecutors in the nation.

In 2009, Gelber sponsored and helped pass a bill that closed a real estate loophole that allowed high end developers to evade taxes.

"[5] Drawing on his experience prosecuting corruption as a US Attorney, Gelber has been active in cleaning up government[further explanation needed].

Reminiscent of Senator Bob Graham's Workdays, Gelber performed community service across Florida, which included serving meals to the homeless, cleaning up the Wekiva River, and joining elementary school students in writing letters to veterans.

[citation needed] Gelber soundly won the August 24, 2010, primary election, defeating his Democratic opponent fellow state senator Dave Aronberg by 18 points.

[6] His campaign has been endorsed by many top public servants, including Republican state senator J. Alex Villalobos, former United States Attorney General Janet Reno, former Florida Education Secretary Betty Castor, former Congressman Jim Davis, Congresswoman and DNC Vice Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, as well as the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the state's largest law enforcement union.

His main competitor, former commissioner Michael Grieco, withdrew from the election and eventually resigned from office amid a campaign finance scandal that led to criminal charges.