Daniella Levine Cava

Daniella Levine Cava
Born	Daniella Levine 14 9, 1955
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer, social worker
Title	8th Mayor of Miami-Dade County
Known for	First woman to serve as Mayor of Miami-Dade County
Education	Columbia University (JD, MSW)
Spouse(s)	Robert Cava
Children	2
Website	[daniella.vote Official site]

Daniella Levine Cava (Template:IPAc-en; born September 14, 1955) is an American lawyer, social worker, and politician serving as the 8th Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida, a position she has held since November 2020. She is the first woman to serve as mayor of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in the United States. Before becoming mayor, Levine Cava served as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner representing District 8 from 2014 to 2020. Prior to entering elected office, she spent more than three decades working in the nonprofit sector as an advocate for children, families, and vulnerable communities in South Florida. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia University, Levine Cava built her pre-political career around community organizing, legal advocacy, and the founding of a nonprofit organization focused on civic engagement and social justice. She was re-elected as mayor in 2024.

Early Life

Daniella Levine was born on September 14, 1955, in New York City. She grew up in New York before eventually relocating to South Florida, where she would build her professional and political career. Details of her childhood and family background in New York remain limited in publicly available sources, though her later career trajectory—encompassing law, social work, and community advocacy—reflected formative interests in social justice and public service that took shape during her early years.

Levine Cava came to South Florida and devoted herself to advocacy on behalf of children and families for over 30 years before entering elected politics. Her early professional life in the region was defined by a commitment to addressing systemic issues affecting low-income and underserved communities, work that would later inform her policy priorities as both a county commissioner and mayor.

Education

Levine Cava holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University. She subsequently attended Columbia University, where she earned both a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. This dual graduate education in law and social work provided her with a distinctive professional foundation, combining legal expertise with training in community-based social services. The combination of these disciplines shaped her approach to public advocacy and, eventually, to governance, as she frequently drew upon both legal and social work frameworks in her policy work.

Career

Nonprofit and Advocacy Work

Before entering elected office, Levine Cava spent more than three decades working as an advocate for children and families in South Florida. She established herself as a prominent figure in the region's nonprofit community, focusing on issues including poverty, access to social services, and civic participation among underserved populations.

Levine Cava founded Catalyst Miami (originally known as the Human Services Coalition), a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging communities in identifying and solving problems related to poverty and inequality. Under her leadership, the organization worked to mobilize low-income residents and connect them with resources, training, and opportunities for civic engagement. The organization became a significant institution in Miami-Dade County's social services landscape, addressing issues ranging from affordable housing to disaster preparedness and healthcare access.

During this period, Levine Cava also contributed writing on issues of social policy and community advocacy. She authored pieces for HuffPost on topics related to her areas of expertise. Her work in the nonprofit sector earned her recognition and established a public profile that would prove instrumental in her transition to electoral politics.

Miami-Dade County Commission (2014–2020)

Levine Cava was first elected to the Miami-Dade County Commission in 2014, representing District 8, which encompasses communities in the southern portion of the county. She succeeded Commissioner Lynda Bell in the position. Her election represented a transition from decades of community advocacy work to direct participation in county governance.

As a commissioner, Levine Cava focused on several policy areas that reflected her background in social work and community organizing. One of her prominent initiatives involved addressing the affordable housing crisis in Miami-Dade County. She announced programs aimed at tackling the growing gap between housing costs and residents' incomes, an issue of increasing urgency in a region experiencing rapid development and rising real estate prices.

During her tenure on the commission, Levine Cava was also involved in environmental advocacy and government transparency initiatives. She engaged with issues affecting the unique ecology of South Florida, including development pressures on wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas in the southern portions of Miami-Dade County.

Levine Cava received several awards and certificates of recognition during her time as commissioner for her service and advocacy work.

Her district encompassed a diverse array of communities, and she worked to address concerns ranging from infrastructure and transportation to public safety and environmental conservation. Her tenure on the commission provided her with experience in county budgeting, land use policy, and intergovernmental relations that she would later draw upon as mayor.

Mayoral Campaign and Election (2020)

In 2020, Levine Cava ran for Mayor of Miami-Dade County, seeking to succeed term-limited incumbent Carlos A. Giménez. The race drew significant attention as one of the most consequential local elections in South Florida. The Miami-Dade mayoral position carries substantial executive authority, as the county operates under a strong mayor form of government with a population exceeding 2.7 million residents.

The Miami Herald endorsed Levine Cava in the 2020 mayoral race, citing her qualifications, policy positions, and record of public service. The editorial board's endorsement highlighted her experience both as a county commissioner and as a longtime community advocate.

Levine Cava won the 2020 mayoral election, becoming the first woman to hold the office of Mayor of Miami-Dade County. She assumed office on November 17, 2020, succeeding Carlos A. Giménez. Her election was noted as a historic milestone for the county, which had been led exclusively by male mayors since the creation of the strong-mayor position.

Mayor of Miami-Dade County (2020–present)

First Term

Levine Cava took office during a period of significant challenges for Miami-Dade County, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruptions, and longstanding issues related to affordable housing, infrastructure, and environmental resilience.

One of the defining events of her first term was the Surfside condominium collapse on June 24, 2021, when the Champlain Towers South residential building in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed, killing 98 people. Levine Cava's role in managing the county's response to the disaster drew national and international attention. She served as a prominent public figure during the crisis, coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies during search and rescue operations and communicating with victims' families and the public. Her leadership during the tragedy was noted by observers and media outlets.

As mayor, Levine Cava continued to prioritize affordable housing initiatives, building on her work as a county commissioner. The affordable housing crisis in Miami-Dade County intensified during her tenure, driven by population growth, rising property values, and increased cost of living in the South Florida region.

Environmental policy has been another area of focus during her administration. Miami-Dade County faces particular vulnerabilities related to sea level rise, climate change, and the preservation of ecologically sensitive areas such as the Everglades and surrounding wetlands. In February 2026, Levine Cava exercised her veto power—a rarely used executive authority—to reject a proposal for a new heavy equipment facility that she and environmental advocates argued would encroach on the county's Urban Development Boundary. At a press conference, she urged commissioners to uphold her veto rejecting a proposed Kelly Tractor facility in the area. Rather than overturn the veto, commissioners agreed to extend the timeline by one month for county staff to negotiate a deal with the company, suggesting that without an agreement they would reject the proposal.

Re-election (2024)

Levine Cava ran for re-election as mayor in 2024 and won, securing a second term in office. Her re-election confirmed her standing as a political figure in Miami-Dade County, despite the region's shift toward the Republican Party in recent election cycles. As a registered Democrat serving in a nonpartisan executive position, her re-election was considered noteworthy in the context of South Florida's evolving political landscape.

Second Term and Recall Effort

Levine Cava's second term has been marked by continued policy initiatives as well as political opposition. In late 2025 and early 2026, a recall effort was launched against her by political opponents. The Miami-Dade Republican Party backed the recall effort, which sought to remove her from office.

In January 2026, the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller, Juan Fernandez-Barquin, approved the recall petition, officially launching a 120-day period for the collection of signatures.

Levine Cava responded to the recall effort, characterizing it as "frivolous and politically-motivated." In a separate response in December 2025, she stated that she had served "very well" as mayor and defended her record in office. The recall effort reflected broader partisan tensions in Miami-Dade County, where the political landscape had shifted considerably in the years following Levine Cava's initial election.

In February 2026, Levine Cava welcomed Team USA to South Florida, an event that underscored her role as a civic leader representing the county on the national stage.

Personal Life

Daniella Levine Cava is married to Robert Cava. The couple has two children. She resides in Miami-Dade County, where she has lived for several decades since relocating from New York.

Levine Cava is Jewish, and her identity within South Florida's Jewish community has been noted in media coverage, particularly during the Surfside condominium collapse in 2021, which disproportionately affected members of the local Jewish community in the Surfside area.

Prior to entering politics, her personal and professional life was centered around her work with Catalyst Miami and her broader advocacy for vulnerable populations in South Florida. Her husband Robert Cava has maintained a lower public profile relative to her political career.

Recognition

Throughout her career in both the nonprofit sector and public office, Levine Cava has received various awards and certificates of recognition. During her time as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner, she was honored with multiple awards acknowledging her public service and advocacy work.

Her election as the first woman to serve as Mayor of Miami-Dade County was itself widely noted as a significant milestone in the county's political history. The achievement was covered by local, regional, and national media outlets as a barrier-breaking moment for women in South Florida politics.

Her handling of the Surfside condominium collapse in June 2021 brought her national recognition. Media coverage highlighted her role in coordinating the emergency response and serving as a public spokesperson during one of the deadliest building collapses in American history.

The Miami Herald editorial board endorsed Levine Cava both during her initial mayoral campaign in 2020 and recognized her record of public service. Her background as the founder of Catalyst Miami was also recognized as a significant contribution to the region's civic infrastructure.

Her re-election in 2024 further confirmed her position within the political landscape of Miami-Dade County, demonstrating continued electoral support in one of the nation's largest and most diverse counties.

Legacy

As of 2026, Daniella Levine Cava continues to serve as Mayor of Miami-Dade County, and her legacy remains a matter of ongoing development. Nonetheless, several aspects of her career have had a documented impact on the county and the broader South Florida region.

Her founding of Catalyst Miami represented a significant institutional contribution to the region's social services and civic engagement infrastructure. The organization has continued to operate and serve communities across Miami-Dade County, addressing issues of poverty, disaster preparedness, and community empowerment.

As the first woman to serve as Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Levine Cava's election broke a gender barrier in one of the nation's most populous and politically significant counties. This achievement placed her alongside other women who have served as executives of major American counties and cities.

Her focus on affordable housing and environmental protection, including her willingness to exercise veto power to defend the Urban Development Boundary, has positioned her administration within ongoing debates about growth management and environmental sustainability in South Florida. These issues are expected to remain central to the county's governance for decades to come, given the region's vulnerability to climate change and rising sea levels.

The recall effort launched against her in her second term also reflects the increasingly polarized political environment in Miami-Dade County, a jurisdiction that has experienced significant partisan realignment in recent years. The outcome of the recall effort and the remainder of her second term will further shape her legacy in the county's political history.

Her career arc—from nonprofit founder and community advocate to county commissioner and then mayor—has been cited as an example of a pathway from civic activism to executive political leadership.