Rosie Cordero-Stutz was elected as the new Miami-Dade Sheriff
DORAL, FL – After nearly 60 years of having the role of Miami-Dade County Sheriff vacant, Republican candidate Rosie Cordero-Stutz was elected this Tuesday, with 55.70 % of the votes (578,895), over Democrat nominee, James Reyes, who obtained 44.30 % of the votes (460,353).
Miami-Dade County hadn’t had a sheriff since 1966. Talmadge “T.A.” Buchanan was the last person to fill in the position under corruption allegations, resulting in a passed referendum that eliminated the sheriff’s office that same year.
In 2018, Florida voters adopted Amendment 10 to the State Constitution, which prohibits counties from abolishing certain local offices, including sheriff, and requires elections for the offices.
After the Amendment 10 adoption, effective Jan. 7, 2025, there will be a total of five constitutional offices operating in Miami-Dade, all ran independently from county government, including the sheriff’s office, the supervisor of elections, the property appraiser, the tax collector, and the clerk of the court and comptroller.
Before these elections, Cordero-Stutz was the Miami-Dade Police Department Assistant Director of Investigative Services. She has served in the department for more than 28 years. Endorsed by former president Donald Trump, during her campaign period she said she has “extensive knowledge of our community’s law enforcement needs and best practices.”
According to her statements before her victory, her commitment will be focused in strengthening partnerships between law enforcement and community organizations to address local issues. She will establish stringent oversight mechanisms, transparent processes and a zero-tolerance policy against public corruption and create accountability within the sheriff’s office.
In addition, she also mentioned one of her priorities will be funding equipment and training for law enforcement. “Funding is essential for maintaining public safety [and] enabling officers to perform their duties with the highest standards.”