For the first time in nearly 60 years, Miami-Dade County voters will have the chance this November to elect the county's first sheriff since 1966.
It’s a move the Florida Sheriff’s Association applauded. According to its president, Sheriff Bill Prummell of Charlotte County, electing a sheriff puts the power back in the hands of voters.
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“An elected sheriff works directly for the people and they’re the only executive law enforcement officer that works for the people,” Prummell said.
In 2018, voters reintroduced the elected position after voting in favor of Amendment 10, which requires every Florida county to elect constitutional officers including a sheriff.
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Prummell said voters can expect that the newly elected sheriff will have complete control over his or her budget once it’s approved by the commission.
“The sheriff has more power and more leeway because they can enact policies, they can enact programs, without getting the vote of the city council involved,” Prummell said.
There are 15 candidates vying for the top-cop position. Whoever is elected will have one of the most powerful positions in Florida’s most populous county. Here's a look at the candidates, four of them Democrat and 11 of them Republican:
Rickey Mitchell is currently the most well-funded of all candidates vying to be the next Miami-Dade County sheriff.
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According to public records, his campaign has reported $294,791 in monetary contributions.
Mitchell, a Democrat, is a retired lieutenant of the Miami-Dade Police Department where he served for 25 years.
The next closest Democratic challenger with more than $160,000 raised is James Reyes, the current Chief of Public Safety for Miami-Dade.
He’s been endorsed by Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava. Before his current post, he served in the Broward Sheriff’s Office for 22 years, where he led the county’s first real-time crime center.
John Barrow is also running for sheriff, an 18-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Barrow grew up in Carol City the son of immigrants from Barbados.
According to his campaign website, he rose through every civil service rank and was appointed major in 2020.
Rounding out the Democratic candidates is Susan Khoury, one of two women vying for the top-cop position.
Khoury is a former federal agent who obtained a master’s degree in communications and criminal justice from the University of Miami.
On the Republican side, the most well-funded Republican in the race according to public records is Mario Knapp, a 27-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
According to his website, he’s held every civil service rank within MDPD. Most recently, he served as the incident commander at the Surfside building collapse.
The candidate with the most high-profile endorsement is current Miami-Dade Police Department Assistant Director of Investigative Services Rosie Cordero-Stutz.
The 28-year veteran snagged a coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Another name that may sound familiar is Joe Sanchez – that’s because he served as Miami commissioner for 11 years.
Sanchez started his public service career in the U.S. Army Reserves and in 1987 he joined the Florida Highway Patrol.
Jose Aragu, a current major with the Miami-Dade Police Department, is also running. He’s a 21-year veteran who began his career in law enforcement with the West Miami Police Department as a uniformed patrol officer and worked his way up the ranks.
Ernie Rodriguez is running for sheriff after serving 37 years in the Miami-Dade Police Department.
According to his campaign website, he also served as a federal Marshal supervising the U.S. Marshals’ Fugitive Task Force.
Joe Martinez served as chairman of the Board of County Commissioners after first being elected in 2000 for the district 11 seat.
The former law enforcement officer has a pending criminal trial against him on charges of unlawful compensation and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation. Martinez maintains his innocence.
Attorney Ignacio Alvarez also wants to be the sheriff. He has over 25 years of law enforcement service with the Miami-Dade Police Department, according to his campaign website.
Before retiring, he served as major of the Special Victims Bureau.
John Rivera’s campaign website touted his 40 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Rivera also served as president for the Police Benevolent Association of Miami-Dade for more than 25 years.
Ruamen Delarua was raised in Hialeah and spent 26 years working for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. According to his campaign website, he has a combined 40 years of sheriff’s office experience including having worked on special projects with Sheriff Grady Judd in Polk County.
Alex Fornet said he’s running for sheriff to restore public safety. Fornet’s campaign website said he served as a Miami-Dade Police reserve officer and retired in 2020.
Rounding out the GOP candidates is Jeffrey Giordano, a former sergeant and 30-year veteran of the Miami Police Department. Today, he’s a private investigator and owns his own company called Giordano Protection Services.
Early voting is currently underway until Aug. 18. The primary election will be held on Aug. 20. The Republican and Democrat with the most votes will then face off in the general election on Nov. 5.
