By Isabella Zimmerman
Editor-in-Chief
Daniella Levine Cava had a historic win on Election Day, becoming Miami-Dade County’s first female mayor. She will also be the first non-Hispanic with the position for the first time in 24 years.
Mayor-elect Cava won against Republican Esteban Bovo, a Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 13, by a margin of approximately 80,000 votes. Though the position is nonpartisan, Cava will be the first Democrat-aligned candidate since 2004.
“A short time ago I received a very gracious call from Commissioner Esteban Bovo. I thank you Commissioner. You ran a very strong campaign and we’ve been colleagues on the commission for six years. I greatly admire your passion and commitment to our community and I look forward to working with you as we take on some of the biggest challenges this community has ever faced,” the mayor-elect said regarding her opponent during her election night watch party in Wynwood.
Cava served as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner, representing District 8 since 2014 and being re-elected in 2018. During her time as Commissioner, she increased the County police force by 80 officers and secured over $30 million in funding for infrastructure projects.
Levine Cava has vocalized what her priorities will be as mayor, which include fighting back against COVID-19. She has promised to invest in Miami-Dade’s healthcare infrastructure and expanding access to care, while also revitalizing the economy by creating jobs for the community and bringing relief to unemployed residents. Nicknamed as a “water warrior,” Cava has also been outspoken about her concerns about the environment and hopes to combat climate change.
Levine Cava will be taking over current mayor Carlos A. Giménez, who has just recently been elected to Congress for Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Although she officially assumed the role of mayor November 17, she has already gotten to work beforehand. On her first day as mayor-elect, Cava joined Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez in Miami Beach to distribute food to people across the county.
“Voters from every corner of this county, from every political stripe, age, race, and creed: you all voted for change in Miami-Dade County,” Cava said in her victory speech on Election Night, adding “I will work harder than ever, harder than ever to lift our county back up.”