Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava wins re-election

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava won re-election with close to 60 percent of the vote. She defeated five opponents and will not face a run-off in November.

She celebrated her victory in Little Havana, where she thanked her supporters and promised to work hard for the people of Miami-Dade. According to a report from Miami-Dade County, Levine Cava was elected the county’s first woman mayor in 2020. She runs a metropolitan government of nearly 30,000 employees with a budget of nearly $12 billion, and almost three million residents.

Levine Cava’s administration has been focused on building a stronger and more resilient Miami-Dade. She has fought for reforms to keep the county safe from gun violence through the Peace and Prosperity Plan. Levine Cava has worked to improve the economy through new investments, preservation of the environment, and through community engagement campaigns, according to Miami-Dade information.

Levine Cava has developed the Future Ready Plan, an economic approach that supports small businesses and encourages innovation. She has promoted climate action strategies that encourage less greenhouse gas emissions and a 50 percent reduction by 50 percent. She has also taken on the housing affordability crisis by increasing tenant protections and promoting an increase in affordable and workforce housing. She has led an effort to help residents with mortgage, utility, and condominium special assessment relief, according to Miami-Dade information.

Voters also decided in a major showdown for the county’s first sheriff in decades. Democrat James Reyes will face off against Republican Rosanna Cordero-Stutz in November. Reyes is the current Chief of Public Safety in Miami-Dade County. During the campaign, Reyes cited his years of experience at the Broward Sheriff’s Office as critical preparation for this role. He managed the Broward Sheriff’s Office budget and believes this experience is crucial in the new role of sheriff.

“Truly honored to gain the support of this wonderful community, a community that received me with open arms when I and my family came from Cuba and gave us all the opportunities under the sun, so to speak, to achieve the American Dream,” said Reyes.

Cordero-Stutz has served with the Miami-Dade Police Department for 27 years. During the campaign, she vowed to not let politics get in the way of the department’s job. She also had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Cordero Stutz aims to become the first female sheriff in the county’s history.

There will be competitive races for the Miami-Dade School Board: In District Three, Joseph Geller will face Martin Karp to fill an open seat, in District Seven, incumbent Mary Blanco will compete against Maxeme Tuchman, in District Nine, Luisa Santos won reelection with 60 percent of the vote, according to Miami-Dade information.