Miami-Dade Police Major John Barrow thinks Mayor Daniella Levine Cava should have stayed out of the county Sheriff's race.
Her choice not to, he said, suggests she's trying to retain political control over a soon-to-be independent law enforcement agency.
"Make no mistake about it, voters will decide who is elected Sheriff of Miami-Dade County. While I respect the Mayor, I believe her endorsement in this race is inappropriate and disrespectful to the voters," he said in a statement.
Barrow's comments came hours after Levine Cava endorsed James Reyes, a longtime jail warden she hired from Broward County in late 2022, to be the county's first elected Sheriff since 1966. She appointed Reyes last year to be Miami-Dade's Chief of Public Safety, a role in which he oversees the county's Police, Fire Rescue and Corrections departments — and answers directly to her.
"At a time when we are seeing an unacceptable level of public corruption in the county, I believe voters will demand that the next Sheriff will be accountable only to them and not be tainted by machine-style politics," Barrow said.
Barrow and Reyes are two of four Democrats running for Sheriff. Thirteen Republicans are also seeking the job, including current Miami-Dade Police officers Jose Aragu, Jaspen Bishop, Orlando Lopez¸ Rolando Riera and Rosie Cordero-Stutz, whom Levine Cava tasked with oversee the Police Department-to-Sheriff's Office transition.
Barrow launched his bid for Sheriff on Sept. 18, three weeks before Levine Cava named Reyes to the Public Safety Chief post and two days before former Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez withdrew from the race following an attempted suicide.
Many of the people who worked on Ramirez's campaign are also behind Levine Cava and Reyes' campaigns.
Reyes joined the Miami-Dade administration in December 2022, when Levine Cava hired him to take over the county's 4,000-inmate jail system. He previously worked for more than two decades with the Broward Sheriff's Office, including four years as its Executive Director and two as Director.
Miami-Dade hasn't had an elected Sheriff since 1966, when county voters eliminated the position after a grand jury report revealed rampant corruption within the Department. Instead, the county has a Police Director, who is appointed by and reports to the Mayor.
But in 2018, 58% of Miami-Dade voters joined a statewide supermajority in approving a constitutional amendment requiring all 67 counties in Florida to have an elected Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Clerk of Courts by early 2025.
Levine Cava and members of the County Commission resisted the coming change and tried to set up an arrangement where the Sheriff and appointed Police Director would operate concurrently.
During the 2023 Legislative Session, however, lawmakers approved a pair of bills prohibiting the duplication of Sheriff powers.
The Primary Election is on Aug. 20, followed by the General Election on Nov. 5.
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