MIAMI – Raquel Regalado filed official papers Monday to run for mayor of Miami-Dade County after making an announcement of her candidacy to Local 10 News on Sunday.
Regalado is the first official challenger to Mayor Carlos Gimenez's re-election.
"I'm really focusing on issues and on changes," Regalado told Local 10.
She recently rallied against using public money to pay for infrastructure to support SkyRise, and partnered in a lawsuit with billionaire businessman Norman Braman. She said she is expecting Braman's support for her candidacy.
To transition from mayoral critic to mayoral candidate, Regalado said she knows she has to broadcast a platform and a vision for change, and she plans to make mass transit improvements a priority.
"I did a five-year transportation plan with all our school buses," Regalado cited as an example. "A lot of things I talk about doing at the county, we've done a lot of it at the school board."
Though Gimenez did not speak publicly Sunday, he indicated to Local 10 last week that he planned to run for re-election.
County Commissioner and former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez is also considering a run for county mayor. He is expected to announce his decision in October.
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