Historic election in Miami-Dade: the return of the sheriff after 60 years of absence

Miami-Dade voters will participate in a historic election on November 5: for the first time in 60 years, the county will elect a sheriff, a position that was abolished in 1966 following a corruption scandal.

According to Telemundo 51, the restoration of the position is in response to Amendment 10, approved in 2018 by Florida voters, which allows for the direct election of a sheriff in the region.

The electoral contest will be between two candidates: the Democratic Cuban James Reyes and the Republican Rosie-Cordero Stutz, each with a very different approach and background.

Currently, Reyes is the chief of public security for the Miami-Dade Police Department and has spent 22 of his 25 years in law enforcement with the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

However, his critics argue that he has never been a police officer and that if elected, he would be responsible for overseeing more than 3,200 officers in the area.

At 46 years old and born in Cuba, Reyes is the son of a political prisoner whose family emigrated to the United States in the late 1970s. He holds a degree in Criminology and has a master's in Criminal Justice.

Meanwhile, Cordero-Stutz has been with the Miami-Dade Police for 28 years, starting as a patrol officer, working in robbery and homicide, and rising through the ranks to become a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain, ultimately serving as deputy director.

The reintroduction of the position not only signifies a significant change in the structure of the local police but also symbolizes a new era of accountability and transparency in law enforcement.

As Election Day approaches, attention is focused on how voters will decide on the leadership and direction of security in Miami-Dade, a vital aspect for the community and its well-being.

This election will not only impact the present, but it will also lay the groundwork for county governance in the years to come.

In addition, it will take place on the same day that the presidency of the country is decided, between the Democrat Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump, in an extremely tight race.