(Bloomberg) -- Daniella Levine Cava, the Democratic mayor of Miami-Dade County, cruised to reelection Tuesday, easily winning the contest with the backing of billionaires such as Ken Griffin.
Cava won with 58% of the vote, beating six challengers by a margin big enough to avoid a runoff in November. In 2020, Cava was elected as the county’s first female mayor.
“I won decisively, so I can lead decisively,” Cava told WLRN Tuesday night. “That is the plan.”
Griffin, a major national Republican donor, gave $500,000 to Cava’s campaign in June, according to a filing, extending his political clout in his new base in Miami. The founder of hedge fund Citadel and market maker Citadel Securities moved to Miami from Chicago two years ago, vowing to become more involved in Florida politics.
Cava also secured donations from a firm connected to the billionaire Mas brothers, owners of Inter Miami soccer club, where Lionel Messi plays.
In South Florida’s government structure, the county mayor has substantially more power than her counterparts in dozens of municipalities in the county, including the city of Miami mayor, Francis Suarez. A social worker, Cava oversees a region with nearly 3 million residents and a $12.7 billion annual budget.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
