Cordero-Stutz decisively wins first Miami-Dade sheriff’s race

For the first time in six decades, Miami-Dade County has a new sheriff: Rosie Cordero-Stutz.

On Tuesday night, Republican Cordero-Stutz defeated Democrat James Reyes by a landslide margin of 55% to 44%, according to the latest results. She will take office on January 7, 2025 and will be responsible for policing throughout Miami-Dade County.

Her election marked the first time since the early 1960s that Miami-Dade has elected a sheriff. For the past six decades, the county’s law enforcement chief has been an appointed police director. But a state ballot initiative in 2018 required all Florida counties to now elect sheriffs, as well as several other public offices.

As sheriff, Cordero-Stutz will also be a significantly more powerful and independent leader of law enforcement than Miami-Dade police directors, who were controlled by county commissioners.

At her campaign victory party at the EB Hotel in Miami Springs, Cordero-Stutz told her supporters:

“To all Miami-Dade residents, the message is clear: when it comes to the importance of law and order, Miami-Dade stands firm… make no mistake. My commitment is solely to the best interests of the city and the protection of the residents of Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade County.”

Cordero-Stutz served with the Miami-Dade Police Department for nearly 30 years. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Miami-Dade Police Department and chair of the sheriff’s internal transition team.

Her campaign has received endorsements from several prominent Florida Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis. She also has the support of the state’s 27 current county sheriffs.

During the party, she thanked those supporters, as well as other Florida Republicans such as U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

“Thank you for your faith and thank you for your trust in me,” she said. “As I have said before, I never expected to run for any political office. And let’s just say my political contacts were limited when I started this campaign. But I am deeply grateful to the many politicians who supported me. “

Ahead of the election, Cordero-Stutz discussed her top priorities as sheriff with WLRN. She listed community mental health, increased police presence and traffic enforcement as issues she would like to address.

“It is also an expansion of the anti-corruption unit,” she said. “Not just your traditional political corruption, as most people know the term, but also scams associated with homeowners associations.”

Reyes is Miami-Dade’s current director of public safety. He previously spent a year as director of the county’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and held various leadership positions with the Broward Sheriff’s Office for 22 years.

“Obviously, I will continue to be the head of public safety and will help in any way I can to ensure a successful transition,” he told WLRN Tuesday afternoon at a polling station in Overtown.

He will work with Cordero-Stutz in her new role in 2025.

“Public safety has been something near and dear to my heart for twenty-five years, and I will remain true to it: dedicated to this community and willing to help it in any way I can.”

His main ally in that race was current Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava, whose landslide victory in the August primary earned her another term as county leader.

He also received support from several county commissioners and the South Florida Police Benevolent Association.

The new sheriff of Miami-Dade will be have control over budget for the county police department, providing police services to unincorporated parts of the county and municipalities that choose to contract with the office.

The 1966 corruption scandal led to elimination of the sheriff’s departmentafter it was revealed that the agency accepted bribes, protected illegal gambling operations and engaged in extortion.

In the summer of 2023, it seemed likely that then-Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III was a candidate for the position, with the endorsement of Mayor Levin Cava.

His bid for sheriff ended after he attempted suicide in July 2023. He survived and returned to Miami-Dade police as a senior advisor leading the transition to the sheriff’s office.

His absence created a vacuum, with more than a dozen candidates lining up in the primaries.

Without an actor the primaries were difficult — While Reyes led other Democrats by a significant 46%, Cordero-Stutz ran against ten other Republican candidates, receiving just under 25% of the vote.