Miami-Dade’s police director left the GOP and became a Democrat. Is sheriff run next?

With a year to go before Miami-Dade elects its first sheriff in decades, the county’s top police officer may be gearing up to run as the Democratic Party’s candidate.

Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, director of Miami-Dade’s police department since 2020, confirmed Tuesday he’s interested in a potential 2024 run for sheriff, a post Florida’s Constitution now mandates be independently elected in every county.

“I’m considering it, of course,” Ramirez said. “I’m getting a lot of people encouraging me to run.”

READ MORE: Florida sheriffs suing over Miami-Dade County plan to keep mayor in charge of police

Last month, Ramirez switched his voter registration from the Independent Party to Democrat, according to the Elections Department. That would set him up to run as a sheriff candidate backed by the county’s Democratic mayor, Daniella Levine Cava.

After taking office in 2020, she promoted Ramirez as her deputy in charge of public safety, placing him in charge of both the police and fire departments. He retained that portfolio after a Levine Cava reorganization last year, along with serving as the police department’s uniformed director.

On Tuesday, Levine Cava praised Ramirez when asked if he’d have her endorsement for sheriff in 2024. “Freddy Ramirez is an outstanding public servant,” she said. “I have great confidence in his ability to lead.”

A county police officer since 1995, Ramirez was a Republican when he was named to head the department by Levine Cava’s Republican predecessor, Carlos Gimenez.

Ramirez changed his party affiliation from Republican to Independent in early 2022, according to county records. He registered as a Democrat on Jan. 5, according to the Elections Department.

So far, the 2024 sheriff race has only one filed candidate: Republican Ruamen Delarua, a Miami police officer.

Florida voters in 2018 approved an amendment mandating that each county elect independent sheriffs, election supervisors and tax collectors.

Most already do, but in Miami-Dade, the mayor holds the power of all three offices. The voters of what was then called Dade County eliminated the post of sheriff in the 1960s after a string of corruption scandals.

While the mayor’s office in Miami-Dade will remain officially non-partisan, Florida rules require partisan elections for sheriff and the other two newly independent offices.

Ramirez, 52, said he hasn’t made a decision on sheriff because it’s so “early in the process,” and that his new party affiliation has nothing to do with his current job.

“My goal as director is to be non-partisan,” he said. “My No. 1 priority is public safety, and the safety of the officers.”

This story was originally published February 7, 2023 at 3:13 PM.