The ticket is officially set for the first sheriff鈥檚 race in Miami-Dade County since 1962. Republican Rosanna 鈥淩osie鈥� Cordero-Stutz will face Democrat James Reyes in the Nov. 5 general election.
A controversial statewide ballot amendment in 2018 required every county to elect a county sheriff. Miami-Dade was the only county in the state that did not have one.
The wide open race did not have any incumbent, making it a veritable free-for-all of candidates vying to fill one of the most politically powerful positions in the most populous Florida county. A whopping 11 Republicans appeared on the ballot for the primary election, along with four Democrats.
Rosanna 鈥淩osie鈥� Cordero-Stutz led the sizable pack of Republicans with nearly 25% of the vote. As her win was called at her watch party at Sergio's in Doral, she embraced her husband and son while her campaign supporters and staffers cheered her on.
鈥淔or 28 years, I provided service to this county, and it did not matter what my party was,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 will serve this community and ensure safety and security for all, regardless of party, because that is what a sheriff does.鈥�
She is currently the Assistant Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department as well as Chair of the Sheriff Internal Transition Team. Her campaign had received a major boost when former
鈥淚 want to take another moment to thank President Trump for acknowledging me,鈥� she told reporters. 鈥淗e brought attention to a race that is extremely important because Miami-Dade County matters.鈥�
In addition to support from President Trump, Cordero-Stutz has likewise benefited from close connections to former Miami-Dade Mayor and current Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez. The congressman鈥檚 son CJ Gimenez is a campaign advisor while his daughter-in-law Tania Cruz-Gimenez is the campaign manager.
She also received endorsements from two Republican candidates who dropped out of the race.
鈥淚t is important that as a community we unite in order to get our message and our values in office 鈥� because that's how we take care of our future,鈥� she had told 港澳天下彩at a polling station in Sweetwater earlier in the day.
Decisive win for Reyes
On the Democratic side of the ticket, James Reyes easily won the primary, receiving over 46% of votes. Reyes is currently the Chief of Public Safety for the county, overseeing the Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the county jail system.
He entered into the race with strong support from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava after her original pick for sheriff 鈥� former Police Director Freddy Ramirez 鈥� shot himself in the face in the midst of a domestic dispute, and abruptly ended his campaign.
READ MORE: Levine Cava cruises to re-election: 'I won decisively, so I can lead decisively'
As his win was confirmed, Reyes was swarmed by supporters and friends at a campaign watch party event at a nightclub in Little Havana. He wore a white guayabera and broke into a brief dance on stage before taking the mic.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you what an honor it is as your Chief of Public Safety to give back to this community that received me with open arms 鈥� me and my family 鈥� when we came here from Cuba,鈥� Reyes told the crowd.
鈥淟et鈥檚 keep the energy going, let鈥檚 keep the dedication and focus on what is important which is November," he added.
"I am gonna cover the four corners of this county making sure that we are inclusive and represent everyone in Miami-Dade County, and everyone in Miami-Dade County should look at the Miami-Dade Sheriff鈥檚 Office and see themselves 鈥� not only themselves but also their values and their priorities."
Reyes is a 22-year veteran of the Broward County Sheriff鈥檚 Office and he was originally tapped by the mayor to oversee the county鈥檚 troubled jail system, which has spent over a decade under federal scrutiny after a wave of deaths and suicides. The county has made progress towards ending that federal oversight recently, but it remains mired in issues.
The county commission is still in the midst of figuring out if the jail system itself will be handed over to the newly created sheriff鈥檚 office, or if it will continue to operate under the mayor鈥檚 office. The system held in custody as of last week.
鈥淵ou would think people want to ask you mostly about policing. But you鈥檇 be surprised 鈥� so many questions and concerns that I get are about corrections,鈥� said Reyes. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to Miami-Dade County putting both under the sheriff鈥檚 scope of authority.鈥�
鈥淚 look forward to being the sheriff for all of Miami-Dade County, and I look forward to doing that,鈥� Reyes added. 鈥淧ublic safety shouldn鈥檛 be partisan. Public safety is a right that we all have in our community.鈥�
Broward residents face off in November
Both Reyes and Cordero-Stutz are currently residents of Broward County, a topic that drew criticism towards both candidates, as 港澳天下彩has reported. State law still allows them to run for sheriff of a county they do not reside in.
Notably, there are more independent voters in Miami-Dade County than registered Republicans, but voters not registered with any political party did not get to participate in the primary election. Getting support from those many independent voters will be crucial for winning the election in November.
