Jesse Scheckner
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the county’s Chief of Public Safety, James Reyes, are kicking off early voting with events in Coral Gables in Miami featuring elected local and state officials.
Levine Cava’s event is first, at 10 a.m., at the Coral Gables Branch Library (3443 Segovia St.). Other participants include Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme, South Miami Mayor Javier Fernández, El Portal Mayor Omar Nickerson, North Miami Beach Mayor Evan Piper, Coral Gables Commissioner Rhonda Anderson and former Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
Reyes’ event is at 11 a.m. at the Joseph Caleb Center (5400 NW 22nd Ave., Ste. 205). Participants include Homestead Rep. Kevin Chambliss, Florida City Vice Mayor Sharon Butler, Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Katrina Wilson, North Miami Beach Commissioners Jay Chernoff and Daniela Jean, and Miami Gardens Council members Reggie Leon and Robert Stephens.
Levine Cava, Miami-Dade’s first woman Mayor and the first Jewish person to hold the job, is running for a second four-year term. She faces six challengers in a technically nonpartisan race, including Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, former Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, actor Carlos Garín, social media influencer Alex Otaola, trapeze artist Miguel Quintero and transport executive Eddy Rojas.
All seven mayoral candidates are on the Primary ballot. If no candidate received more than 50% of the vote by Aug. 20, the two top vote-getters will compete in a runoff through the Nov. 5 General Election.
Reyes, whom Levine Cava hired last year and endorsed after he announced his candidacy this year, faces three Democratic opponents: Miami-Dade Police Maj. John Barrow, former federal agent Susan Khoury and former Miami-Dade Police Lt. Rickey Mitchell.
The winner will take on whoever emerges victorious from an 11-person Republican Primary between Iggy Alvarez, Jose Aragu, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Ruamen DelaRua, Alex Fornet, Jeffrey Giordano, Mario Knapp, Joe Martinez, Rolando Riera, Ernie Rodriguez and Joe Sanchez.
Levine Cava and Reyes’ campaign teams feature many of the same people, including campaign manager Christian Ulvert and communications consultant Claire VanSusteren.
Early voting runs Aug. 5-18 at 23 locations across the county, viewable below.
