Jesse Scheckner
Democratic Miami-Dade County Police Maj. John Barrow will be hosting a kickoff fundraiser for his Sheriff bid Saturday in Key Biscayne.
The event is open to all supporters, his campaign said.
Barrow will also be available to press for interviews before by appointment and at the event, which will be held 3-5 p.m. at 250 Seaview Dr.
“My campaign continues to build momentum as we head into 2024 and this historic election for Sheriff,” Barrow said in a statement.
“I’ve already been to dozens of events all over Miami-Dade to talk with voters and listen to their concerns and priorities. But grassroots fundraising is also a critical part of a winning campaign strategy. I can’t wait to welcome our supporters this Saturday.”
He added, “This is a critical election with high stakes. I’m in this to win.”
A 17-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Barrow is one of 14 candidates running to become the county’s first Sheriff in more than 65 years.
Barrow, who turns 40 next week, grew up in Carol City, a neighborhood in Miami Gardens with some of the highest crime rates in the county. He worked his way up through the department, which he joined after a short stint as a public school teacher, achieving the rank of major in March 2020 upon returning to the Hammocks District where he began his law enforcement career.
He currently serves in the department’s Personnel Management Bureau.
In his police service, he’s worked as a resource officer, Sergeant in administrative and media relations, Administrative Lieutenant, General Investigations Unit Commander and Captain at the Northwest District.
Barrow holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University.
His breadth of experience, he said, makes him uniquely qualified for the Sheriff post.
“Everything I’ve done — including my administrative background — is what a Sheriff will need,” he told Florida Politics shortly after entering the race in September. “It’s not just policing. It’s budgeting, administration and getting out there in front of the community, speaking to varied and various actors in Miami-Dade, across the state and farther than that, and my experience allows me to do those things.”
He is set to face two others in a Democratic Primary: former federal agent Susan Khoury and former Miami-Dade officer Rickey Mitchell. Another Democratic candidate, former Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez, dropped out of the race after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head during an attempted suicide in July.
Eleven Republicans are also running. They include lawyer and retired MDPD Maj. Ignacio Alvarez; MDPD Maj. Jose Aragu; resident Jaspen Bishop; MDPD Assistant Director for Support Services Rosie Cordero-Stutz; Miami Police officer Ruamen De la Rua; credit consultant and retired MDPD reserve officer Alex Fornet; retired MDPD Maj. Mario Knapp; MDPD Sgt. Orlando Lopez; MDPD Maj. Rolando Riera; former Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association President John Rivera; and Ernesto Rodriguez, a lieutenant with the county’s Agriculture and Environmental Crimes unit.
In his first month of fundraising, the only period for which campaign finance information is available under Florida’s new reporting rules, Barrow amassed about $7,000.
