Key Biscayne’s representative to the Florida House could be changing jobs very soon — all depending on a Tuesday vote by the Miami-Dade County Commission. Commissioners will vote to either fill the spot directly — or set a special election. The slot was left open when Eileen Higgins resigned to run for Miami mayor.
It’s a topic of political intrigue. An appointed replacement would finish Higgins’ term that ends in 2028, creating a powerful incumbent advantage if the County Commission goes that route, as it has in the past.
Five people applied before last Wednesday’s deadline for consideration to be appointed: Former Commissioner Joe Sanchez, State Rep. Vicky Lopez, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, former Miami Beach Commissioner and State Rep. David Richardson and Anthony Javier Diaz.
Richardson is the only Democrat on the list. The job is technically nonpartisan, but the parties compete for these races as if they had “D” or “R” labels.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was questioned about Lopez and the vacancy during her appearance on the Antio-Social Podcast.
“I’ve worked closely with Representative Lopez, as I have with former representative Richardson, who also has expressed an interest,” she said. “So you know, at the current moment, I’m waiting to see what will be the will of the commission, and perhaps after that, if there’s a race, then I might very well get in, right?”
Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez is hoping to appoint State Representative Vicky Lopez, as the Miami Herald reported earlier this month.
“District 5 plays a vital role in the fabric of our community,” Rodriguez said in a press release at the time. “It’s important that residents and businesses in every community continue to have a voice in the decisions that shape Miami-Dade’s future.”
Lopez also has the support of Tallahassee leaders, a sign that they have moved on from what was once a checkered past decades ago.
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During her tenure as a Lee County Commissioner in 1995, Lopez was indicted on 10 counts that included bribery and fraud, and went on to serve 15 months in federal prison before President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence. Her conviction was later vacated.
Lopez did not respond to messages, nor did District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who will be casting a vote on the question Tuesday.
Regalado, who is aligned with the GOP, could find in Lopez another ally if she runs for mayor when Levine Cava’s term ends.
Jessica De Leon is a general assignment reporter at the Key Biscayne Independent.