MIAMI (AP) — Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava cruised to a reelection victory Tuesday, avoiding a potential runoff by winning nearly 60% of the vote.
The county's voters also chose two longtime law enforcement officials to vie for sheriff in November, which will mark the first elected sheriff in Miami-Dade since 1966. It has been the only Florida county without an elected sheriff for decades following a corruption scandal that led to an appointed police director position.
Levine Cava, a Democrat, became the first female mayor of Florida's most populous county in 2020. She defeated six opponents Tuesday, including the mayors of Miami Lakes and Surfside.
“I am ready and promise to continue doing the work that needs to get done,” Levine Cava said in a statement. “We will double down on our housing challenges, invest in our infrastructure so we can be future ready, prioritize healthy and safe communities and ensure we are a resilient community that preserves and protects our environment.”
A runoff between the top two candidates would have been required if Levin Cava had received less than 50% of the vote.
Before she became mayor, Levine Cava was a Miami-Dade County commissioner and held a number of social and legal work positions. She gained national attention as mayor during the response to the June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers condominium building in Surfside, which killed 98 people.
In the sheriff race, Democrat James Reyes and Republican Rosie Cordero-Stutz will face off in November after each defeated several primary opponents. Reyes, who was endorsed by Levine Cava, is currently chief of public safety for the county and Cordero-Stutz is the assistant director of investigative services at the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The Associated Press
