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Hialeah Lawmaker Resigns To Run For County Commission

MIAMI (CBS4) – It's official.

State Rep. Esteban Bovo resigned from the legislature in order to run for the Miami-Dade County Commission seat left open after voters recalled Commissioner Natacha Seijas.

On Friday, he offered a farewell speech on the chamber floor. He was elected to the state house in 2008 and had previously served on the Hialeah City Council.

Bovo's resignation came as no surprise. He filed paperwork to run for the county commission seat on March 22nd and many political experts said he would have to resign in order to run for office.

Bovo said he wants the opportunity to represent Seijas' former commission district because it would keep him closer to his family. He said he usually is in Tallahassee during the legislative session and said he uses Skype to keep in touch with his children. He said he wants to be there in person to raise them because the Internet video service "is no way to do things."

Bovo is married to Viviana Bovo and the couple has four children.

Bovo, who chaired the Hispanic Caucus, is also director of public police and external affairs for Miami Children's Hospital.

Bovo is the first candidate so far to file the paperwork necessary to fill Seijas seat.

For a  complete list of candidates running for county mayor and county commission seats, click here.
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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