John Taylor swaps mayoral re-election bid for run at HD 109

The Mayor who helped turn around one of Miami-Dade’s most troubled cities now wants to take that record to Tallahassee.

Opa-locka Mayor John Taylor just announced his candidacy for House District 109, promising to focus on affordability, public safety and expanding opportunity for working families.

He’s running to succeed Miami Rep. Ashley Gantt, who last week confirmed her own campaign for Senate District 34, which Miami Gardens Sen. Shevrin Jones — a fellow Democrat — is vacating for an expected congressional bid.

“The challenges facing our residents — from the rising cost of living to affordable housing and public safety — don’t stop at the city limits,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I’m running for the Florida House because District 109 deserves a Representative who understands these challenges firsthand and has a record of getting things done.”

Gantt quickly endorsed her would-be successor, who for now faces one Democratic Primary opponent in former state Rep. James Bush III.

“As Mayor, (Taylor) has delivered real results for Opa-locka residents through responsible leadership, stronger city services, and investments that improve people’s quality of life,” she said. “I am proud to support his campaign for Florida House District 109 because I know he will bring that same commitment to delivering for our communities in Tallahassee.”

Taylor, 37, is a lifelong Opa-locka resident and the seventh of eight children raised in a faith-rooted household where civic engagement was a constant, according to his campaign website. He attended local public schools, graduated from Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School and earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Miami Dade College.

For the past seven-plus years, he’s worked as a state health inspector. He first won office as an Opa-locka City Commissioner in 2020, was appointed Vice Mayor the following year and won election as Mayor in 2022.

Until this week’s announcement, he was running for re-election as Mayor.

Taylor’s tenure has coincided with a notable turnaround for a city that spent years under state financial oversight following chronic mismanagement and high-profile corruption. Under his leadership, Opa-locka achieved multiple consecutive clean audits — a first in over a decade — while lowering the millage rate, reducing city debt, completing a new police station and establishing a free on-demand ride service for seniors and students.

His administration also created a Human Services Department to address food insecurity; established the HOPE Fund to help families with mortgage, rent and utility bills; and revived the city’s Arabian Nights Festival for the city’s centennial celebration last month.

Taylor’s family has deep — and complicated — roots in Opa-locka politics. His mother, Myra Taylor, served as Mayor on and off for roughly a decade, but her time in office was marked by persistent legal trouble.

She and her husband, John Taylor Sr., pleaded guilty to federal income tax charges in 2005 related to their co-ownership of a private school network and were sentenced to probation and home detention.

In 2012, his father and his half-brother, Demetrius Taylor, were among family members arrested on campaign finance charges tied to Myra Taylor’s 2010 mayoral campaign. Another of Taylor’s brothers, Opa-locka Police Sgt. Johane Taylor, was also arrested multiple times on domestic violence charges.

Through at least June 25, 2025, Johane Taylor remained on duty, according to a federal court order in a separate civil rights lawsuit.

The Primary Election is on Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.