Miami-Dade Commissioner Garcia joins Hialeah mayor race as Bovo gets ready to step down
The race for Hialeah’s mayoral seat is heating up, as Miami-Dade County Commissioner René Garcia enters the contest, following Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo’s announcement that he’s stepping down from the job.
READ MORE: Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo to step down, take job with lobbying firm in Washington
Garcia, the commissioner for District 13, which includes parts of Hialeah Gardens, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, and unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade, filed his candidacy documents on March 31. The filing came just days after Bovo publicly named Garcia as his preferred successor during a TV interview.
Leaving a commission meeting on Tuesday, Garcia noted he has several months before making a final decision on whether to resign his Miami-Dade seat to run for mayor, as state law allows him to wait until the city’s qualifying period, which runs from July 7-28. “It gives me the chance to talk to the residents of Hialeah and see where I can best serve our community,” Garcia told the Miami Herald.
Garcia’s hesitations about his intentions to run have sparked doubts among local politicians, leading to speculation that he might withdraw before the qualification deadline to prevent other potential candidates, such as Hialeah City Council members Jesus Tundidor and Carl Zogby, from entering the race. Both have expressed interest in running if Garcia doesn’t. However, Bovo’s office is banking on Garcia remaining in government to provide political stability. Garcia currently occupies the county seat that Bovo vacated when he lost the Miami-Dade mayoral election.
Garcia, 50, has a degree in Political Science from Florida International University and a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration. His political career began in 1997 as a councilman for Hialeah, and he later served as a state representative and senator. Last year, he was reelected unopposed for his second term as a county commissioner, a position he could hold until 2028, when term limits will require him to step down.
If Garcia didn’t run for Hialeah mayor several council members positions would be open leaving multiple positions filled with interim council members. The city already has two interim council members, after Angelica Pacheco was suspended due to an FBI indictment on healthcare fraud, and a second seat was vacated by Bryan Calvo when he decided to run for county tax collector. Both positions are up for election in November.
For now, Garcia would face Calvo for the mayoral seat. Although Tundidor, who has decided not to pursue the mayor’s office, was initially seen as Bovo’s expected successor, he may be eyeing Garcia’s county commission seat. Calvo, 27, an attorney specializing in civil litigation, was once a vocal opponent of Bovo’s politics before resigning to run for a Miami-Dade position.
When Bovo resigns, as expected in late April, City Council President Jacqueline Garcia-Roves will assume the role of interim mayor. She will make history as the city’s first woman mayor, serving for the remainder of Bovo’s term, which ends in November. She would then return to her prior position unless she decides to run for the vacant mayoral seat, a move many people close to the situation believe is a strong possibility.
Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 2:24 PM.
