Miami-Dade County Commissioner Vicki Lopez is adding support from three labor unions in her bid to keep her District 5 seat on the 13-member panel.
Lopez’s campaign this week announced endorsements from UNITE HERE Local 355 and the South Florida AFL-CIO, adding to a list of other collective bargaining organizations and elected leaders backing her.
In an accompanying statement, South Florida AFL-CIO President Jeffrey Mitchell said his umbrella group’s 60 local unions, representing 250,000 members, are entirely behind Lopez.
“The South Florida AFL-CIO … proudly voted unanimously to endorse Commissioner Vicki Lopez’s campaign and are excited to continue to partner with her as she champions policies and programs that empower working families in Miami-Dade County,” he said.
Lopez has also received endorsements from AFSCME Florida, SEIU 32BJ, SEIU Local 1991, the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, Metro-Dade Firefighters IAFF Local 1403, Miami Beach IAFF Local 1510, the Miami-Dade chapter of the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and Miami Beach Commissioners Tanya Katzoff Bhatt, Laura Dominguez, Alex Fernandez and Monica Matteo-Salinas.
“Public service is about showing up, listening, and solving problems — and that’s exactly what I’ve worked to do throughout my time serving this community,” Lopez said. “I am grateful for the trust local workers have placed in me, and I will continue fighting for a stronger Miami-Dade County where families can afford to live, local businesses can thrive, and everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”
Lopez, a former Lee County Commissioner and state Representative, was appointed to the Commission in November 2025.
She faces Democrat Rob Piper and fellow Republican Joe Sanchez in the Aug. 18 Primary, as the County Commission and its races are technically nonpartisan. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff in the Nov. 3 General Election.
District 5 covers parts of Miami and Miami Beach, including the neighborhoods of Brickell, Downtown Miami, Little Havana, Miami River, Mid Beach, The Roads, Silver Bluff, Shenandoah, South Beach and West Flagler.
