Xavier Suarez

Xavier Suarez
Born	Xavier Louis Suarez 5/21/1949
Birthplace	Las Villas, Cuba
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney, professor
Known for	First Cuban-born Mayor of Miami
Education	Harvard University (MPP, JD)
Spouse(s)	Rita Suarez
Children	4, including Francis

Xavier Louis Suarez (born May 21, 1949) is an American politician and attorney who made history in 1985 as the first Cuban-born individual elected Mayor of Miami, a milestone that reflected the growing political influence of the Cuban-American community in South Florida. He served two non-consecutive stints as mayor — from 1985 to 1993 and briefly from 1997 to 1998 — and later represented the 7th district on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners from 2011 to 2020. Born in Cuba and raised in the United States after his family emigrated, Suarez earned degrees from Villanova University and Harvard University before building a career that spanned law, public policy, and academia. His political trajectory has been marked by notable achievements as well as controversy, including his removal from office in 1998 after a judge voided his mayoral election due to widespread absentee ballot fraud. He has remained active in Miami politics across five decades, running unsuccessfully for Miami-Dade County mayor in 1996 and 2020, and entering the 2025 Miami mayoral race at the age of 76. His son, Francis Suarez, served as Mayor of Miami, making the Suarez family one of the most prominent political dynasties in the city's history. His nephew, Alex Mooney, has served as a member of the United States Congress.

Early Life

Xavier Louis Suarez was born on May 21, 1949, in Las Villas, Cuba. He grew up during a period of political upheaval in Cuba, and his family emigrated to the United States, settling in the Washington, D.C. area. Suarez was raised in the United States and came of age during a time when Cuban exiles and their children were beginning to establish themselves in American civic and professional life.

His nephew, Alex Mooney, later became a U.S. congressman. The connection between the Suarez and Mooney families illustrated the breadth of Cuban-American political engagement across multiple states and levels of government.

Suarez eventually settled in Miami, where the Cuban-American community had grown substantially since the 1960s. His arrival in the city coincided with a period of significant demographic and political transformation, as Cuban Americans were increasingly asserting their influence in local government and business. Suarez entered the legal profession and became involved in community affairs, laying the groundwork for his eventual entry into electoral politics.

Education

Suarez earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University. He then attended Harvard University, where he earned both a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Harvard Law School. His dual graduate training in law and public policy informed his approach to governance throughout his political career. Suarez later joined the faculty at Florida International University College of Law, where he served as an adjunct professor.

Career

First Mayoral Term (1985–1993)

In November 1985, Xavier Suarez was elected Mayor of Miami, defeating incumbent Maurice Ferré in a historic election. Suarez became the first Cuban-born individual to serve as mayor of the city, a landmark achievement for Miami's Cuban-American community, which by the mid-1980s constituted a significant and growing share of the city's population. The New York Times profiled Suarez at the time of his election, noting the significance of the milestone in a city undergoing rapid demographic change.

Suarez served as mayor from November 14, 1985, to November 11, 1993, a period that encompassed two full terms. During his tenure, Miami faced a range of challenges including tensions related to the drug trade, immigration, and urban development. His predecessor, Maurice Ferré, had served as mayor since 1973, and Suarez's election represented a generational and ethnic shift in the city's political leadership.

His successor as mayor was Stephen P. Clark, who took office in November 1993.

Political Activity in the 1990s

After leaving the mayor's office in 1993, Suarez remained active in Miami-Dade County politics. In 1996, he ran as a candidate for Dade County mayor but was unsuccessful in that effort.

Second Mayoral Term and Election Controversy (1997–1998)

In November 1997, Suarez won the Miami mayoral election, defeating incumbent Joe Carollo to reclaim the office he had held for eight years. Suarez was inaugurated on November 14, 1997, beginning what was intended to be a new term as the city's chief executive.

However, Suarez's second term was short-lived and marred by significant controversy. Reports emerged of irregularities in the absentee ballot process during the election. In early 1998, The Washington Post reported on the tumultuous state of Miami politics under Suarez's brief second tenure, describing a series of incidents that made national headlines. The Christian Science Monitor also covered the political turmoil in Miami during this period, providing national context for the controversy surrounding Suarez's return to office.

On March 5, 1998, a judge voided the results of the November 1997 mayoral election, citing widespread fraud in the absentee ballot process. The ruling effectively removed Suarez from office. The New York Times reported extensively on the judicial decision, which found that fraudulent absentee ballots had been cast in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome of the election. The fraud was not attributed directly to Suarez himself, but the election was invalidated and Joe Carollo was restored to the mayor's office. Suarez's tenure thus ended on March 12, 1998, after less than four months.

The 1997 Miami mayoral election fraud became a notable case study in the vulnerability of absentee ballot systems to manipulation. The episode received national attention and remained a frequently cited example in discussions of election integrity in the years that followed.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner (2011–2020)

After more than a decade out of elected office, Suarez returned to public service when he was elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, representing the 7th district. He took office on May 24, 2011, succeeding Carlos A. Giménez, who had vacated the seat upon being elected mayor of Miami-Dade County.

Suarez served as a county commissioner for nearly a decade, from 2011 to November 17, 2020. During his time on the commission, he was involved in county-level governance covering transportation, development, budgeting, and environmental issues. His successor on the commission was Raquel Regalado.

2020 Miami-Dade County Mayoral Race

In 2020, Suarez ran for mayor of Miami-Dade County but was unsuccessful. The race was contested during a period of significant political competition in South Florida, and Suarez was unable to secure enough support to win the election.

Academic Career

In addition to his political work, Suarez has been involved in legal education. He served as an adjunct professor at Florida International University College of Law, where his faculty profile noted his extensive background in public service and legal practice.

2025 Miami Mayoral Race

In July 2025, Suarez announced his candidacy for the office of Mayor of Miami, seeking to return to the position he had first won four decades earlier. At 76 years old, he acknowledged that some questioned whether his age was a factor, but he pointed to his long track record in public office as evidence of his qualifications. In a column published in Miami's Community News in August 2025, Suarez wrote: "Every once in a while, someone suggests that I am too old, at 76, to run for mayor," while presenting his platform and record.

The 2025 race attracted significant media attention in part because of the family dimension: Suarez's son, Francis Suarez, was the incumbent mayor whose term was ending, creating the unusual dynamic of a father seeking his son's former position. The Miami Herald reported that despite the family ties, the relationship between father and son was not a central focus of the campaign. The New York Times covered the race as part of a broader story about the colorful and often dramatic history of Miami municipal politics, noting the personal stories and longstanding feuds that characterized the 2025 contest.

Suarez was one of 13 candidates in the November 4, 2025 election. He did not advance to the runoff, which was contested between Eileen Higgins and Emilio González. Following the election, Suarez endorsed Emilio González in the runoff, calling him "a proven public servant."

Axios provided coverage of the various candidates in the race in October 2025, noting the field's diversity and the range of political perspectives represented.

Personal Life

Xavier Suarez is married to Rita Suarez. The couple has four children, including Francis Suarez, who served as Mayor of Miami. The father-son dynamic of both having served as mayor of the same city has been the subject of considerable media attention, particularly during the 2025 mayoral campaign.

Suarez's nephew, Alex Mooney, has served in the United States Congress as a representative from West Virginia.

Suarez has changed his political party affiliation multiple times over the course of his career. He was a member of the Democratic Party before 2010, then registered as a Republican from 2010 to 2012. He subsequently registered as an Independent from 2012 to 2020, rejoined the Republican Party from 2020 to 2025, and registered again as an Independent in 2025.

He has appeared on C-SPAN in connection with his political activities and public commentary.

Legacy

Xavier Suarez's place in Miami's political history is defined primarily by his status as the first Cuban-born mayor of the city, a milestone achieved in 1985 that reflected the broader ascendance of the Cuban-American community in South Florida politics. His election came at a time when Miami was undergoing a significant demographic transformation, and his victory signaled the community's growing electoral power.

His career has also been shaped by the controversial circumstances of his second mayoral term. The 1998 judicial decision voiding the election and removing him from office due to absentee ballot fraud remains one of the most significant election fraud cases in modern American municipal history. The episode drew national attention to the potential vulnerabilities in absentee voting systems and became a frequently referenced case in subsequent debates over election administration and ballot integrity.

Suarez's nearly decade-long tenure as a Miami-Dade County commissioner demonstrated his continued engagement with public service well into his later career. His decision to run for mayor again in 2025, at the age of 76, underscored his enduring connection to Miami politics across five decades. The Suarez family's involvement in Miami governance — with both Xavier and his son Francis Suarez serving as mayor — represents one of the notable political family lineages in the city's history.

His involvement in legal education at Florida International University College of Law also contributed to the training of future lawyers and public servants in South Florida.