Former Hialeah Councilman Calvo announces mayoral bid following Bovo plan to step down
Bryan Calvo, who made history as Hialeah’s youngest-ever councilman at just 23, has officially announced his candidacy for mayor following a Miami Herald story that Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo is stepping down to join a prominent lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.
At 27, Calvo, a Harvard graduate in political science who got his law degree from Florida International University, resigned from his council seat in 2024 to run for Miami-Dade tax collector. Although he lost the countywide Republican primary to Dariel Fernandez, Calvo won over 90% of the votes in Hialeah’s precincts.
“In November, voters in Hialeah and across the United States spoke clearly: we do not want recycled politicians, we want change. “ Calvo said in a statement to the Herald. “Some people have been in office longer than I’ve been alive, making the same broken promises. My actions show that I will always fight for residents, and I’ll continue to work for their best interests.”
Calvo and Bovo, who were elected in the same cycle in 2021 as councilman and mayor respectively, soon found themselves at odds over a series of contentious issues. Their public clashes included debates on a proposed redevelopment agency, the city budget, rising water service fees and public safety. At one point Calvo filed a lawsuit against Bovo, accusing him of “systematically abusing his power.” The lawsuit later was dismissed by a judge.
A day after the Herald broke the news about Bovo stepping down nine months before the next mayoral reelection, the city has yet to issue a public statement on the matter.
When Bovo leaves office, City Council President Jacqueline Garcia-Roves will assume the role of interim mayor of Hialeah, serving for the remainder of Bovo’s term until the November election. Garcia-Roves has not responded to requests for comment.
Calvo is the first candidate to formally file his intention to run for mayor with the City Clerk. Other potential candidates, including Hialeah Council members Jesus Tundidor and Luis Rodriguez, as well as Miami-Dade Commissioner Rene Garcia, have been cautious about announcing their intentions, waiting for a formal statement from Bovo that he is vacating the position.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM.
