Jesse Scheckner
Miami-Dade Police Maj. John Barrow will head to the Aug. 20 Democratic Primary for Sheriff with the backing of South Florida’s longest-serving LGBTQ rights organization.
SAVE Action PAC, associated with Miami-based SAVE, has endorsed Barrow for the county’s top cop post.
In a statement, SAVE Executive Director Todd Delmay said a win for Barrow this year “would be representative of the diverse people and communities that call Miami-Dade home.”
“John’s lived experience as a gay Black male rising through the ranks to be a Major in the Miami-Dade Police Department will be essential as he builds a truly independent agency that can reduce crime and serve us all,” Delmay said.
“John’s deep background, experience, and record of not only making Miami-Dade safer, but also fighting for justice for every community, makes him the best candidate in this extremely important election. He is a strong advocate and would be a partner of our mission to promote, protect and defend full equality for LGBTQ+ people in South Florida.”
Barrow said he’s “truly honored” to have SAVE Action PAC’s support.
“My campaign is driven by a desire to ensure that all members of our community, especially those from marginalized communities, have a voice in shaping the policies that affect their lives,” he said. “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a person of color, I bring personal understanding of the challenges faced by these groups.”
Barrow is one of four Democrats running to be Miami-Dade’s first Sheriff since the 1960s. His Primary opponents include former federal agent Susan Khoury, former Miami-Dade Police Lt. Rickey Mitchell and Miami-Dade Chief of Public Safety James Reyes, who leads all 15 Sheriff candidates in fundraising.
If elected, Barrow vows to create a non-police response unit to address mental health crisis, homelessness and addiction calls; enhance police training on de-escalation and community policing; increase the number of Deputies on the street; and broaden anti-corruption efforts, including the creation of a public corruption unit and civilian review panel.
Republicans in the race include Iggy Alvarez, Jose Aragu, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Ruamen DeLaRua, Alex Fornet, Jeffrey Giordano, Mario Knapp, Joe Martinez, John Rivera, Ernie Rodriguez and Joe Sanchez.
All are current or former law enforcement professionals.
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.
The General Election is on Nov. 5.
