Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr. was among three commissioners who automatically won another four-year term in political office after they were unopposed at the end of the qualifying period last week.
Commissioners Bruno Barreiro and Barbara Jordan also have no challengers for their reelection bids after the deadline to qualify for the August 30 primary election, according Miami-Dade’s Election Department.
However, Commissioners Xavier Suarez, Audrey Edmonson, Dennis Moss and Juan Zapata weren’t so lucky.
Political neophyte Michael Castro is challenging the incumbent Suarez for his District 7 seat, while former commissioner Joe Martinez is challenging Zapata to win back his old seat in District 11, which he gave up to run for mayor in 2012.
Also running in the race is former pharmaceutical salesman and novice Felix Lorenzo.
Edmonson is facing a familiar foe in Daisy Black for her District 3 seat.
Edmonson beat Black in the race for mayor in El Portal before she won a seat on the County Commission.
In the county’s mayoral race, incumbent Carlos Gimenez’s reelection bid drew eight challengers, including his chief rival, Miami-Dade School Board member Raquel Regalado, the daughter of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado.
Other candidates for mayor include former congressional staff member Alfred Santamarias, printer Frederick Bryant, former county Democratic Party chairman B.J. Chizsar, Miguel Eizmendiz and former gubernatorial candidate Farid Khavari.
For Miami-Dade’s property appraiser, incumbent Pedro Garcia will serve four more years after no challengers filed papers to run against him.
Garcia won a special election in 2014 to fill the remaining term of Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who left the post after Governor Rick Scott picked him as his Lieutenant Governor.
Bovo thanked his supporters and vowed to continue to do the work on their behalf at County Hall.
“Thank you to the residents of District 13,” Bovo said. It is an honor to continue serving you.”
Bovo was first elected county commissioner in 2011 in a special election to replace Natacha Seijas, who was removed from office, along with then-county Mayor Carlos Alvarez, during a recall.
He was reelected the following year and served a full four-year term.
Currently the vice chair of the County Commission, Bovo serves as chairman of the Board’s Transportation Mobility Committee, and is a member of the Unincorporated Municipal Services Committee and the Strategic Planning and Government Operations Committee.
As the past chairman of the Board’s Finance Committee, Bovo earned a reputation as a fiscal hawk and has championed various legislative proposals designed to make county government more transparent and efficient.