Freddy Ramirez, former Miami-Dade chief cop, supports James Reyes’ candidacy for sheriff

Former Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez he was once the presumptive front-runner in the race for sheriff. He’s no longer in the race, but as the first person elected to the county’s top cop job in decades, his preferred choice is another Democrat James Reyes.

Surrounded by members South Florida Police Benevolent Associationwho endorsed Reyes in July, Ramirez stated he was supporting Reyes “on his personal behalf.”

Currently, Ramirez serves as: senior advisor to the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD).

“This race is important to our community. I proudly managed the Department for many years, and MDPD is my home and family. So I know that the community accepts the transition to the Sheriff’s Office (the one) that serves as sheriff is critical,” Ramirez said outside the Kendale Lakes branch library.

“Chief Reyes grew up in Miami-Dade and has the experience to get the job done. I’m proud to have voted for him and I’m equally proud to stand by his side.”

Reyes, a longtime jail warden who spent most of his career with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, has been serving as Miami-Dade’s public safety chief since last year. In this position, he oversees the police, fire and corrections departments.

He jumped into the race for sheriff in January. Ramirez he withdrew from the race four months earlier after a suicide attempt.

Ramirez, a longtime MDPD member, joined the department in 1995. In January 2020, then-county Mayor Carlos GimenezRepublican, appointed Ramirez’s MDPD director.

He remained in office as the Democratic mayor of Miami-Dade Daniella Levine Cava election later that year, and in the 2024 election cycle, both had many of the same campaign workers. Even before he entered the sheriff’s race, Levine Cava almost he supported himtelling reporters, “Freddy Ramirez is an outstanding public servant (and) I have great confidence in his leadership abilities.”

Since then, she has supported Reyes, whom she recruited from Broward in 2022 wave of local officialsincluding the sheriff of Palm Beach Rick BradshawBroward Sheriff Gregory Tony AND five Miami-Dade commissioners.

Groups supporting it include: SEIU Local 1991, United Teachers of Dade, National Association of Police Organizations, South Florida AFL-CIO, AFSCME in Florida, GSAF Local 100 AND LiUNA Local 1652.

Reyes will face Miami’s deputy police director Rosie Cordero-StutzWho defeated 10 other Republican candidates for his party’s nomination. Reyes defeat three Democrats beat him to the general election.

Cordero-Stutz, a nearly 30-year MDPD veteran, has recommendations from Giménez, Donald Trump, Rick ScottUS representatives Mario Díaz-Balart27 current Florida sheriffs, Association of Spanish Police Officers and former Miami-Dade commissioner Sally Heymandemocrat among others

In both cases, there are platforms that prioritize public safety, fighting corruption in society and improving the county’s technological capacity to fight crime.

Miami-Dade hasn’t had a sheriff since 1966, when county voters eliminated the position after a grand jury report exposed rampant corruption in the agency. Instead, the mayor today serves as the de facto sheriff and has since had an appointed police director reporting to him.

This arrangement will soon change due to a 2018 referendum in which 58% of Miami-Dade voters joined the statewide majority in approving a constitutional amendment requiring the county to join 66 other Florida counties in electing a sheriff to beginning of 2025

The general election will be held on November 5.

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