Manny Diaz Elected Mayor of Miami
Manny Diaz, JD '80, is the new mayor of Miami, having won a November 13 runoff election against former six-term Miami mayor Maurice Ferre, a week after the incumbent, Joe Carollo, was voted out during first-round balloting.
Diaz, who became nationally known as a lawyer for the Little Havana relatives of Elián González, had never before held public office. Elected with overwhelming support from the Cuban-American community, he received 55.3 percent of the runoff vote.
As mayor of a city that is sometimes divided along ethnic lines, Diaz emphasized a "One City…One Future" message at his swearing-in ceremony, which was held outside the City Commission chambers. He has pledged to lure outside investors to the city and help the city manager improve Miami's finances over the next four years.
"What we need to focus on is the desire in lots of people to start working together as a community," he said.
At his swearing-in ceremony, the oath of office was administered by Florida Attorney General Robert Butterworth, a 1969 graduate of UM Law.
Another UM Law alumnus, Alex Penelas, JD '85, is mayor of Miami-Dade County.
