Let the jockeying begin to fill Eileen Higgins’ Miami-Dade commission seat

• Tweet
• Sumo

• Tweet

The day after Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins got into the runoff for Miami mayor Tuesday, the race to fill her county District 5 seat really began in earnest.

First, Antonio “Tony” Diaz, who withdrew from the special election in Miami’s District 4 last June, filed his intention to run for the seat, which isn’t officially open until 2026, the day after the election. Former Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman who lost the Republican primary for Miami-Dade Sheriff last year, also filed on Thursday.

Read related: Eileen and Emilio headed to Miami mayoral runoff as voters end the circus

Sanchez, who’s lived in the area for decades and logged 36 years in law enforcement — currently as the FHP’s South Florida public information officer — announced this week that he wants to serve the residents of District 5.

“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 that hit all the right notes of nostalgia and neighborly pride. “Our residents deserve to be represented by one of their own.”

He even added a little populist flair: “I’m advocating for a special election in District 5,” he said. “Not just for my candidacy, but because it’s the most democratic choice. 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.”

Read related: Lobbying starts to fill Eileen Higgins’ D5 Miami-Dade commission seat

This is likely his position because he knows that State Rep. Vicki Lopez is the favorite in an appointment scenario. Weeks ago, Sanchez was meeting individually with commissioners and lobbying for an appointment. Now he wants a special election.

Ladra agrees that a special election would be the fairest way to go. But don’t hold your breath. Commissioners have a funny way of suddenly becoming allergic to democracy when it costs money or risks losing control. An election wouldn’t happen until February and there would have to be another election in August. Watch them try to justify just appointing someone in the meantime.

The clock is ticking. By county rules, the commission has 30 days to either appoint a replacement or call for an election to fill the vacancy. And with Higgins now in a runoff for Miami mayor against former city manager Emilio González, that seat will be empty for a few months — unless the 12 remaining commissioners can agree on a name faster than usual.

And we all know how fast that can happen. The county commission will consider the process of either appointing someone or calling for a special election at their Nov. 18 meeting.

“District 5 plays a vital role in the fabric of our county,” said Chairman Anthony Rodriguez in a statement. “It’s important that residents and businesses in every community continue to have a voice in the decisions that shape Miami-Dade’s future.”

That’s not really going to happen, however, if they appoint someone.

And Rodriguez has asked the Commission auditor to prepare for the potential appointment process. Translation: start collecting résumés. The county has already launched an online portal where interested District 5 residents can apply to be considered for appointment. The portal will stay open until noon on Wednesday, November 12.

A special election remains on the table, at least officially. The Board’s November 18 discussion will include both options — an appointment or a special election — along with the timelines, costs, and political implications of each.

But let’s be real: if history is any guide, commissioners tend to pick one of their own. The last time a vacancy opened up, the process was about as “public” as a private-club lunch at Joe’s Stone Crab.

Read related: David Richardson seeks to replace Eileen Higgins on county commission

District 5 — which covers the southern portion of Miami Beach and parts of the City of Miami, including Downtown, Little Havana, and Brickell — is shaping up to be the next political hot zone. And Sanchez isn’t the only one circling.

So far, the four people who’ve publicly expressed interest:

• Joe Sanchez: See above. A longtime resident , 36 years in law-enforcement, eight years in the U.S. Army Reserves, 11 years as Miami City Commissioner, awarded a Medal of Valor for his role in the ValueJet crash recovery, and he ran for Miami-Dade Sheriff in 2024 finishing a close second in the Republican primary.
• Bruno Barreiro: The former longtime commissioner in that district who left in 2018 to run for Congress, and lost.
• David Richardson: A forensic accountant who’s served as both a state rep and as Miami Beach commissioner and lost a bid last year to be the Miami-Dade tax collector to Dariel Fernandez. Richardson has been filed for the seat when it was on the 2028 ballot since April.
• Vicky Lopez: A state rep with a penchant for getting jobs for her family members through projects and programs she supports.

Will the county commission appoint one of these four — or someone else entirely? Will they call a special election despite the cost and drama? Ladra’s betting we’ll see a lot of back-room deals before we ever see “vote here” signs.

You can help get more independent, watchdog government reporting of our local government and political campaigns to our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Ladra thanks you for your support.

  Bruno Barreiro, David Richardson, Eileen Higgins, Joe Sanchez, Vicky Lopez