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| Alex Penelas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 5th Mayor of Miami-Dade County | |
| In office October 1, 1996 – November 6, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen P. Clark (Metropolitan Dade County) |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Álvarez |
| Member of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners | |
| In office 1990–1996 | |
| Member of the Hialeah City Council | |
| In office 1987–1990 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Penelas (1961-12-18) December 18, 1961 (age 63) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lilliam |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | St. Thomas University (A.B.) University of Miami (J.D.) |
| Profession | Lawyer Politician |
Alexander Penelas (born December 18, 1961) is an American attorney who is the former mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Education and personal life
Penelas, an American of Cuban descent, attended St. Thomas University and graduated in 1981 with a degree in political science. In 1985, he received his J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and was inducted into the university's Iron Arrow Honor Society.
Penelas and his wife, Lilliam, have two adult sons, William and Christopher, and a younger daughter, Alexandra.
Political life
Alex Penelas served on the city council of Hialeah, Florida from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, he was elected to serve as a county commissioner in Dade County.
Miami-Dade Mayor
Penelas ran in 1996 for Mayor of Dade County, renamed Miami-Dade County in 1997. Penelas advanced to the runoff for Mayor against fellow commissioner Arthur Teele. Penelas scored 37% to Teele's 25% with former mayor of Miami Maurice Ferre and Xavier Suarez in third and fourth. In the run-off Penelas soundly beat Teele with 60.56% to Teele's 39.44%. Penelas ran for reelection in 2000 and beat Miami Dade Commissioner Miguel Diaz de la Portilla with 51.6% to Diaz de la Portilla's 20.9%. Because Penelas reached the 50% threshold, a runoff was not needed.
As mayor, he vocally opposed the repatriation of Elián González in 2000, but was not successful in stopping the repatriation.
2004 Senate campaign
In 2004, Penelas was term-limited as mayor and ran for 2004 United States Senate election in Florida. This was the first open Senate seat since 1980, it was being vacated by longtime incumbent and Dade County native Bob Graham. Penelas finished third in the primary, behind Betty Castor and Peter Deutsch. His campaign was made more difficult when Al Gore called him "the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt with during the 2000 presidential election campaign anywhere in America."
2020 mayoral bid
Main article: 2020 Miami-Dade County mayoral electionIn April 2019, Penelas announced his campaign for re-election to the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor, a position he previously occupied for eight years. Penelas initially led in most polls but finished in third in the first round behind Daniella Levine Cava and Esteban Bovo.
References
- ^ Hanks, Douglas (23 July 2020). "Seeking third term as county mayor, Alex Penelas banks on fond memories in Miami-Dade". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2020-08-17.
- ^ Torres, Ginelle (10 November 2004). "PENELAS RETURNS TO ALMA MATER AS PROFESSOR". South Florida SunSentinel. Archived from the original on 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
- "Alexander Penelas Mayor" (PDF). Miami Govt. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 Feb 2020.
- Iron Arrow Honor Society at Notable Names Database.
- ^ Navarro, Mireya (1996-09-04). "The Race for Mayor of Dade County Is Headed for a Runoff (Published 1996)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
- Sokol, Brett (May 26, 2005). "The D Word". Miami New Times.
- Hanks, Douglas (14 May 2019), "Running for county mayor again, Alex Penelas snags Miami-Dade's top donor (so far)", Miami Herald, retrieved 15 May 2019
External links
- "Alex Penelas Contronts a Tough Critic: His Own Party", St. Petersburg Times, August 31, 2003.
- "Alex Penelas, former Miami-Dade Mayor, to Provide Political Commentary and Analysis for Univision", Univision statement, December 17, 2004.
- "Al Politics Is Loco", The American Spectator, June 8, 2004.
- Alex Penelas at University of Miami Famous Alumni.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byPosition abolished 1993-1996 | Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida 1996-2004 |
Succeeded byCarlos Alvarez |
| Mayors of Miami-Dade County | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
- 1961 births
- Living people
- 20th-century mayors of places in Florida
- 21st-century mayors of places in Florida
- American politicians of Cuban descent
- Florida Democrats
- Mayors of Miami-Dade County, Florida
- Politicians from Miami
- St. Thomas University (Florida) alumni
- University of Miami School of Law alumni
- Florida city council members
- Television personalities from Florida