After decades of continuous public service on both sides of the government dais, Joe Sanchez wants to bring his experience and insights to Miami-Dade County Hall.
He just filed to run for the newly vacant District 5 seat on the Miami-Dade Commission, which represents a southern portion of Miami Beach and parts of Miami, including Downtown, Little Havana and sections of Brickell.
“District 5 is my home: I’ve raised my children here, watched my mother grow old here, and seen this community grow,” Sanchez said in a statement Thursday.
“I believe our residents deserve to be represented by one of their own, a true neighbor who understands their needs. That’s why I want to serve and help keep this district a strong, thriving home for all of us.”
Sanchez is running to replace Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who stepped down Wednesday to run for Miami Mayor in compliance with Florida’s resign-to-run law.
He’s calling for a Special Election.
“Not just for my candidacy, but because it’s the most democratic choice,” he said. “Every voice in our community deserves to be heard, and it’s worth every dollar to let the people, not the politicians, decide who represents us.”
Sanchez is a figure well known to many longtime District 5 residents. He’s lived in Miami-Dade for more than 55 years, 36 of which in law enforcement and community leadership positions.
He began his public service in 1987 by joining the Florida Highway Patrol, where he continues to serve today as Public Information Officer for South Florida. He also served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves and 11 years on the Miami City Commission, including as Chair.
In 1996, he was awarded the Medal of Valor by the Miami-Dade Commission for his leadership in the ValuJet search-and-recovery operation to locate survivors of the plane crash in the Everglades.
Last year, he ran unsuccessfully for Miami-Dade Sheriff, placing second in an 11-candidate Republican Primary behind the race’s ultimate winner, Rosie Cordero-Stutz.
But notably, his campaign said, Sanchez earned most of the votes cast in the precincts that make up District 5, demonstrating his “broad local support and deep community roots.”
Sanchez is the first person to announce his candidacy for District 5. He said that if the Miami-Dade Commission decides to appoint someone to fill the seat, he’d “humbly ask to be considered.”