Miami-Dade Chief of Public Safety James Reyes punched his ticket to the General Election for Sheriff on Tuesday, defeating three Democratic Primary opponents vying to be the county’s first elected top cop in decades.
With all precincts reporting, Reyes — who carried an endorsement from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava into Election Day — received 46% of the vote to clinch his spot on the Nov. 5 ballot.
He beat retired Miami-Dade Police Lt. Rickey Mitchell, former federal agent Susan Khoury and Miami-Dade Police Maj. John Barrow, who took 21%, 17.5% and 15.5% of the vote, respectively.
“I am truly humbled and honored by tonight’s win. This campaign is truly not about me, it’s about our future,” Reyes said in a statement.
“I’m the only person running with executive leadership experience in a Sheriff’s Office. I’ve served under and been promoted by 4 different Sheriffs, Republicans and Democrats, because public safety should never be about politics. And that is my pledge tonight once again, that our Sheriff’s office will never be about politics. Our mission will always stay laser focused on protecting residents and keeping families safe, and holding criminals accountable.”
