Herald endorsement: Miami-Dade County supervisor of elections | Opinion

By the Miami Herald Editorial Board

Updated November 2, 2024 11:41 AM

Miami-Dade supervisor of elections candidates Juan Carlos “J.C.” Planas, a Democrat, and Republican Alina Garcia. Provided

Editorial Board’s General Election Endorsements

In advance of the upcoming general elections on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, the Editorial Board interviewed and researched candidates to better understand their views on various issues and how their policies will affect their constituents. The goal is to give voters a better idea of who’s the best candidate for each race.

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The election for Miami-Dade County supervisor of elections is among the most consequential local races on the General Election ballot.

This position is currently appointed by the county mayor, but, thanks to a 2018 statewide constitutional amendment, it will become an independent elected office. The winner of the Nov. 5 election will run Florida’s largest local election office and lead the transition of an entire bureaucracy.

The best candidate should possess the expertise and determination to ensure elections are fair and accessible to all voters, regardless of party affiliation.

Based on that criteria, our choice is Juan Carlos “J.C.” Planas.

The 54-year-old Democrat is a well-known elections lawyer and self-described “election expert” who’s worked on high-profile cases. He represented former Democratic state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez in a 2020 vote recount — in fact, Planas said he’s participated in more than 20 voting recounts statewide. Rodriguez was the target of a ghost-candidate scheme that funneled votes away from him that is now the focus of a criminal trial.

Planas, a former Miami Republican state representative who said he left the GOP after Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, teaches election law at St. Thomas University School of Law.

His Republican opponent is freshman state Rep. Alina Garcia. She’s a former chief of staff and senior policy adviser for Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo and former deputy chief of staff for Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo.

Of the Republicans running countywide for constitutional offices in November, including sheriff, she’s the only one who declined to meet with the Herald Editorial Board, citing in an Aug. 30 email a “long and established history of partisanship by the The Miami Herald Editorial Board that ill serves this community.”

Her 30 years of experience in government should provide her with a good foundation to serve, but we worry about her ability to represent voters whose views she disagrees with.

Garcia has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who claims falsely that he won the 2020 presidential election. Trump famously pressured the top election official in Georgia to change the state’s election results.

Garcia has given no indication that she would use the supervisor of elections office to Trump’s advantage if he asked or that she’s an election denier. However, she hasn’t necessarily been straightforward on the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections in previous interviews. In May, she said: “I can only speak to how the elections were conducted in Florida and in Miami-Dade County, which were fair, transparent and the results reported timely,” the Herald reported.

Planas’ introduction to elections law came with his own legal case when he successfully asked the courts in 2006 to kick his cousin off the ballot for trying to siphon votes from him under the name “J.P. Planas.” Since then, he has established deep knowledge of the law and the voting process.

Planas faced attacks in the Democratic primary because, in July, the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust ordered him to pay $5,675 to cover legal fees for filing a “frivolous” ethics complaint against a Miami Beach mayoral candidate last year.

Planas said he wants to make the county’s election website more user-friendly and make it easier to find information such as campaign finance reports, and explore the idea of using QR codes to help voters track mail ballots. He said he would help people register to vote regardless of party affiliation and to request mail ballots by setting up shop at public events, senior centers, county commissioners’ mobile offices and driver license offices. That’s important because many voters are unaware that new state laws cancel mail-ballot requests after every election cycle.

Planas wants to use this higher profile position to instill confidence in the electoral process.

“Be transparent,” Planas said. “We have cameras in there now on canvassing board days. These are all public meetings, so we can show people that they are all allowed to come into the elections department when they count the votes, so they can see it for themselves.”

The Herald Editorial Board endorses JUAN CARLOS “J.C.” PLANAS for Miami-Dade supervisor of elections.

BEHIND THE STORY

Who decides the political endorsements?

In advance of local and state elections, Miami Herald Editorial Board members interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The Editorial Board is composed of experienced opinion journalists and is independent of the Herald’s newsroom. Members of the Miami Herald Editorial Board are: Amy Driscoll, editorial page editor; and editorial writers Isadora Rangel and Mary Anna Mancuso. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.

What does the endorsement process look like?

The Miami Herald Editorial Board interviews political candidates to better understand their views on public policy and how their policies will affect their constituents. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates before making an endorsement. The Editorial Board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. Candidates who decline to be interviewed will not receive an endorsement.

Is the Editorial Board partisan?

No. In making endorsements, members of the Editorial Board consider which candidates are better prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with our editorial stances or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, readiness for office, depth of knowledge of key issues and understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points.

This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 5:21 PM.