Carlos Lopez-Cantera
Carlos Lopez-Cantera (born December 29, 1973) is an American politician who served as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Florida from 2014 to 2019.[4] A member of the Republican Party, he was elected property appraiser of Miami-Dade County on August 14, 2012[5] and previously represented the 113th district in the Florida House of Representatives from November 2, 2004, where he served as the Majority Leader[6] during the final two years of his term. On January 14, 2014, Governor Rick Scott announced Lopez-Cantera's appointment to serve out the term of Jennifer Carroll, who resigned on March 12, 2013.[7][8]
Carlos Lopez-Cantera | |
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19th Lieutenant Governor of Florida | |
In office February 3, 2014 – January 7, 2019 | |
Governor | Rick Scott |
Preceded by | Jennifer Carroll |
Succeeded by | Jeanette Núñez |
Property Appraiser of Miami-Dade County | |
In office January 1, 2013[1] – February 3, 2014 | |
Preceded by | Pedro Garcia |
Succeeded by | Pedro Garcia |
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 113th district | |
In office November 2, 2004[2] – November 7, 2012[3] | |
Preceded by | Manny Prieguez |
Succeeded by | David Richardson |
Personal details | |
Born | Madrid, Spain | December 29, 1973
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Renee ( m. 2005) |
Children | 2 |
Education | Miami Dade College (AA) University of Miami (BBA) |
Early life and education
Lopez-Cantera was born in Madrid, Spain, the son of Cuban Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Esther "Shelly" Smith Fano.[9][10] His father is Catholic and his mother is Jewish.[4] He was born two months prematurely and returned with his parents to reside in Miami, Florida, once he was healthy enough to travel. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1994 and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in political science from the University of Miami in 1996.[11]
Political career
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In 1997, he was a facilitator for the Florida Senate's criminal justice committee.[12] In 2002, he made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. Two years later, Lopez-Cantera won his first election to the Florida House of Representatives to the 113th District in November 2004, and was successively reelected in 2006, 2008 and in 2010 when he defeated US Navy veteran and rising democratic party star Alex Cruzet. He was House majority whip from 2008 to 2010 and the House Majority Leader from 2010 to 2012.[13]
Lopez-Cantera was twice elected by his colleagues from Miami-Dade County to be the chairman of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation from 2011-2012. On August 14, 2012, he became the second property appraiser to be elected by the citizens of Miami-Dade, a county with a population of more than 2.5 million people and almost 1,000,000 properties. On July 15, 2015, Lopez-Cantera announced his candidacy to run in the 2016 United States Senate election in Florida to replace retiring Senator Marco Rubio, who was running for president of the United States.[14] However, Lopez-Cantera withdrew from the race following Rubio's announcement that he would seek reelection to the Senate, reversing his initial pledge not to run, on June 22, 2016.[15]
Personal life
Lopez-Cantera has been married to his wife Renee since 2005. They have two daughters.[16]
Electoral history
Florida State House of Representatives District 117 Republican Primary Election, 2002 | |||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Julio Robaina | 6,375 | 53.08 |
Republican | Carlos Lopez-Cantera | 5,634 | 46.92 |
Florida State House of Representatives District 113 Republican Primary Election, 2004 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Carlos Lopez-Cantera | 7,307 | 84.5 |
Republican | Eileen Damaso | 1,345 | 15.5 |
Florida State House of Representatives District 113 Election, 2004 | |||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Carlos Lopez-Cantera | 24,358 | 100.0 |
Florida State House of Representatives District 113 Election, 2006 | |||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Carlos Lopez-Cantera (inc.) | 13,076 | 100.0 |
Write-in | Nicole Abrante | 2 | 0.0 |
Florida State House of Representatives District 113 Election, 2008 | |||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Carlos Lopez-Cantera (inc.) | 20,726 | 58.2 |
Democratic | Javier Betancourt | 14,868 | 41.8 |
Florida State House of Representatives District 113 Election, 2010 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
Republican | Carlos Lopez-Cantera (inc.) | 14,284 | 62.9 |
Democratic | Alex Cruzet | 7,905 | 34.8 |
Independent | Waldo Faura | 517 | 2.3 |
Notes
References
- "Our Campaigns - Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Race - Aug 14, 2012". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Our Campaigns - FL State House 113 Race - Nov 02, 2004". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Our Campaigns - FL State House 113 Race - Nov 02, 2010". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- Steve Bousquet; Marc Caputo (January 14, 2014). "Gov. Rick Scott announces Carlos Lopez-Cantera as new lt. governor". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- Campbell, Janie (August 15, 2012). "Election Results, Miami-Dade 2012 Primary: Winners, Losers, And A Power Broker On A Boat". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- "Florida House of Representatives - Carlos Lopez-Cantera - 2016 - 2018 ( Speaker Corcoran )". www.myfloridahouse.gov. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- Tia Mitchell, Mary Ellen Klas (March 13, 2013). "Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigns amid state, federal probe of non-profit veterans group". miamiherald.com.
- Rachel Weiner (March 13, 2013). "Florida Lt. Gov. resigns amid racketeering probe". washingtonpost.com.
- "Carlos Lopez-Cantera highlights his family's Cuba history in first campaign video - Florida Politics". floridapolitics.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- Office, Governor Rick Scott's. "Carlos Lopez-Cantera Inaugurated As Florida's 19th Lieutenant Governor". Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Meet Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera". Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- Editorial. "The Herald Recommends." pg 24A. Miami Herald August 16, 2004. Online. February 25, 2009.
- "Florida House of Representatives - Carlos Lopez-Cantera - 2016 - 2018 ( Speaker Corcoran )". www.myfloridahouse.gov. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- "Carlos Lopez-Cantera says he's running for Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate seat in Florida". The Miami Herald. July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- DeBonis, Mike; O'Keefe, Ed; Sullivan, Sean (June 22, 2016). "Marco Rubio will seek Senate reelection, reversing pledge not to run". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- Mazzei, Patricia (July 15, 2015). "Running on Florida's record, Carlos Lopez-Cantera launches campaign for Marco Rubio's Senate seat". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
External links
- U.S. Senate campaign website
- Florida House of Representatives Profile
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
Florida House of Representatives | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Manny Prieguez |
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 113th district 2004–2012 |
Succeeded by David Richardson |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Pedro Garcia |
Property Appraiser of Miami-Dade County 2013–2014 |
Succeeded by Pedro Garcia |
Preceded by Jennifer Carroll |
Lieutenant Governor of Florida 2014–2019 |
Succeeded by Jeanette Núñez |