MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The first election for a Miami-Dade County sheriff in more than six decades arrived with a win by Sheriff-elect Rosie Cordero-Stutz.
“I didn’t know how to be a politician, but apparently I did all right,” she said. “I am ready for the challenge and I do believe the work starts now for me.”
The Republican candidate brought in 56% of the vote over her opponent, Democrat James Reyes.
As she took the stage following the victory on Tuesday night, she was joined by local leaders who were there to support her.
“Last night was amazing,” she told Local 10 News’ Roy Ramos Wednesday, explaining more about what to expect with a transition from a police department to a sheriff’s office.
“First and foremost is ensuring that we have the right budget to serve this community from day one,” she said.
Cordero-Stutz, currently the Assistant Director of Investigative Services at the Miami-Dade Police Department, began her career at MDPD as a police officer nearly 30 years ago, working her way up from a patrol officer and working on everything from robbery cases to homicides.
“Ultimately this community recognized that experience matters,” she said when asked why she thinks the voters choose her.
First on the list for Cordero-Stutz as she takes on her new role is putting more uniformed officers on the street, tackling corruption among elected leaders, and restructuring and expanding Miami-Dade’s Traffic Unit.
“One of the things I really want to do is make sure that I will make good on those promises,” she said.
As for her opponent, Reyes did issue a statement conceding and congratulated the sheriff-elect on her victory.
“My life’s work has been about public service and putting the community first, which is why I decided to run for Sheriff. Though tonight’s results are not what we worked so hard for or what we hoped, I am so grateful to my family, our dedicated campaign team, and our incredible volunteers who have done so much to fight for our shared vision of public safety and public trust.
“After months on the campaign trail, I am looking forward to some much-needed time with my wife and kids, and to continuing my work as Miami-Dade’s Chief of Public Safety, helping to ensure our community has a smooth transition to the elected Sheriff next year. Finally, I want to send my sincere congratulations to our Sheriff-Elect, wishing her the best of luck in this crucial role. I look forward to working with her in pursuit of our shared commitment to keeping Miami-Dade County safe.”
Statement from James Reyes