Which Republicans could challenge Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in Miami-Dade in 2024?

Miami-Dade County’s mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, announced her reelection campaign on Wednesday as the Democrat tries to secure a second term as leader of Florida’s most populous county.

On the heels of Gov. Ron DeSantis putting Miami-Dade in the GOP column in November for the first time in 20 years, Republicans feel political wind at their backs in trying to retake the mayor’s office in 2024.

READ MORE: Levine Cava launches reelection. Can she keep Miami-Dade blue in ’24 after DeSantis win?

While the office is officially non-partisan, party loyalties helped propel Levine Cava to her 2020 win and could be a boost for a Republican challenger, especially if DeSantis winds up as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee next year.

Levine Cava and DeSantis could be on the same ballot if he’s the Republican nominee and she advances to a runoff in the mayoral race after the first round of voting in August 2024. The top two finishers would compete in a November runoff if no candidate for mayor wins more than 50% of the August vote.

Here’s a list of potential Republican challengers mentioned by insiders in both parties:

▪ Esteban Bovo, mayor of Hialeah: Elected mayor of Miami-Dade’s second most populous city after his loss in the 2020 mayoral race, the former county commissioner hasn’t ruled out a second race against Levine Cava. “No local Republican has ever received the amount of votes that I received in 2020,” Bovo said this week. “I have not made up my mind about 2024 yet.”

▪ Manny Cid, mayor of Miami Lakes: He’s been open about his interest in running for office countywide, and that could include mayor or one of the county offices being elected for the first time under a new Florida constitutional amendment, including tax collector and elections supervisor. “We’re definitely 100% in for a countywide race,” Cid said. “For the mayoral race, I think my skill set and what we’ve done in Miami Lakes will play well across the county.”

▪ René Garcia, Miami-Dade commissioner: A former state senator, Garcia was until recently the chair of Miami-Dade’s Republican Party. Asked about the mayoral race, the District 13 commissioner said he was “keeping all my options open.”

▪ Carlos Gimenez, member of Congress: Levine Cava’s predecessor as mayor, Gimenez is in his second term representing Monroe County and parts of Miami-Dade in Congress. Mayor between 2011 and 2020, Gimenez said in a recent television interview with Telemundo he wouldn’t rule out a 2024 mayoral run. Miami-Dade’s charter limits mayors to a pair of consecutive terms, freeing candidates to run for their old positions once they’ve left office.

▪ Vince Lago, Coral Gables mayor: Recently reelected to a second term unopposed, Lago isn’t ruling out a run for county mayor but said his priority is advancing his agenda in Coral Gables. “I’m focused on addressing our most pressing needs,” Lago said. “I will never rule out an opportunity to serve our community.”

▪ Jeanette Núñez, lieutenant governor: In line to replace DeSantis if he wins the White House, Núñez is a former Miami-Dade state representative. In an interview, David Custin, a Núñez political consultant, dismissed the possibility of her leaving Tallahassee to run for county mayor. “Her focus is on being a good lieutenant governor and helping Gov. DeSantis’ agenda succeed,” he said. “The notion that she would run for county mayor next year is beneath her.”

▪ Raquel Regalado, Miami-Dade commissioner: She knows the hurdles to unseat an incumbent mayor after challenging Gimenez in 2016. While she has publicly made clear she would consider challenging Levine Cava, Regalado this week declined to look beyond winning a second term as the District 7 commissioner in 2024. “I’m gearing up for my reelection,” she said. “We’ll see what happens.”

▪ Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami: He’s been raising millions ahead of a possible presidential run, leaving Republicans to wonder if a local office might be a natural fallback for the two-term city mayor. Privately, Suarez has told confidants he’s not interested in Miami-Dade mayor but may run for governor in 2026.