Carlos Gimenez , the mayor of Miami-Dade County, submitted his qualifying papers on Monday for his candidacy in the upcoming election.
By filing his papers at the headquarters of the Miami-Dade Elections Department in Doral, Gimenez officially entered the mayoral race in which he is seeking a new term.
He was elected Miami-Dade's mayor in June 2011 after he defeated former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina. The election was the result of the ousting of Carlos Alvarez in a historic recall election in March.
Gimenez said he is honored to go on the ballot again for what he called the greatest county in the state.
“As I’ve said in the past, I stand by my record and will proudly run on that record. Our campaign is about continuing a fundamental shift in the way our county does business and it’s about restoring the trust and confidence of our residents in their government," Gimenez said in a statement. "I look forward to a spirited debate in the coming months based on the issues that matter to the people we serve.”
Gimenez, who graduated from Christopher Columbus High School and attended Barry University, is a longtime Miami-Dade resident.
Commissioner Joe Martinez is challenging him in the mayoral election, set for Aug. 14.
