He wasn’t on anybody’s list, but Ruamen de la Rua is the first to file paperwork for the sheriff’s election in 2024. De la Rua, a Miami Police officer, filed documents Monday naming a campaign treasurer and identifying a campaign account.
It’s a partisan race, and de la Rua is Republican.
When he’s not writing tickets on Tigertail Avenue, de la Rua is dreaming about his next step. He applied in 2020 for the job of Miami Police chief after Jorge Colina retired.
From his LinkedIn about:
“Worked on patrol with the City of Miami Police Department as a Police Explorer, Public Service Aide and Police Officer. Worked on patrol with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Florida as a Deputy Sheriff. Promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, K9 Commander, Assist District Commander, District Commander, School Resource Commander. Worked K9, Motors,Cargo Theft, Property Crimes, FTO, Drug Unit, Hostage Negotiator. Past FOP President Marion County Sheriff’s Office Lodge 145. FDLE Certified Defense of Tactics, Firearms, K9 Instructor/K9 Evaluator and Driving Instructor. Accomplished all levels of the Incident Command Systems (100-900) and attended WMD in Anniston, Alabama.”
Sounds qualified.
The county sheriff’s office is one of those constitutional offices state voters restored in 2018. We will also be electing our first Supervisor of Elections. The first election is in 2024 and a lot of names have been discussed for the sheriff’s position.
Suspended Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, a former county cop, was arguably the de facto front runner, but then he was charged with unlawful compensation in a quid pro quo scenario and was suspended by the governor.
Read related: Joe Martinez suspended hours before final budget hearing; no replacement
Las malas lenguas also say that former Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, a former Hialeah Police officer, would love to come back to the public trough. Other names offered more quietly have been those of former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz and former Mayor Carlos Gimenez, but both of them seem very unlikely. One is a Congressman already and the other wants to be mayor of Sweetwater.
Former Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez has been mentioned as well. He might be a little bored as Vice President of public safety at Ocean Reef in Key Largo. And, quietly, so has Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak. He is beloved in his city and his wife, Miami Beach City Manager Alina Hudak, was a county administrator for decades. That’s a power couple.
There’s even been talk about a possible comeback for former and famously recalled Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, who was also a police officer first.
Read related: Elected Miami-Dade sheriff, SOE could curb mayor’s abuse of power
But those who thought that or wanted former Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo — who was hailed when he was hired away from Houston and then unceremoniously forced to resign after he said the city commission was corrupt — would be a contender, got bad news earlier this month when Acevedo was named the interim police chief in Aurora, Colorado.
De la Rua works in the Miami Police department, which is pretty messed up under the “leadership” of Chief Manny Morales, who is controlled by the city commissioners who couldn’t control Acevedo.
We’ll have to ask de la Rua where he stands on all that if he really runs. Eventually.
First candidate for 2024 Miami-Dade sheriff’s race is Miami police officer added by Ladra on
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