Watch CBS News

Incumbent Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle Wins Another Term In Office

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Incumbent Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle declared victory before all the votes were counted on Tuesday evening. In the end, she beat her challenger Melba Pearson.

Fernandez Rundle has served in the same position for 27 years.

Fernandez Rundle had received 61 percent of the vote and Pearson had received 38 percent.

"We ran and we won on the strength of our record," Fernandez Rundle told her followers.

CBS4's Jim DeFede breaks down election results:

 
This year, Pearson had challenged her for the job.

Pearson, who is a Deputy Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, worked as a prosecutor and assistant state attorney under Rundle for 15 years. She said a change is needed.

"In the last 27 years, my opponent has never filed charges against an (police) officer for an on-duty killing. That's not okay," she said.

Pearson indicated she would file more cases against officers, even if chances of a conviction would be problematic due to Florida's Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.

Rundle said her record speaks for itself.

"I have those who criticize me because I prosecute too many police officers and there are those that say we don't do enough. That says to me that we are doing the right thing for the right number of cases," said Fernandez Rundle.

Pearson has vowed to reduce the jail population by reforming the cash bail system she said discriminates against the poor. She also said she would try to keep juveniles out of adult court and root out discrimination and racial bias that she claims exists at every level of Miami-Dade's criminal justice system.

RELATED: CAMPAIGN 2020 

Rundle said over the years she has instituted drug court, established a hate crime unit, has gone after human traffickers, and now supports a civilian review panel to keep an eye on police practices. She said crime under her watch is down 70 percent.

Whoever wins the race will work alongside the county's new mayor who will be decided in the November election.

For information on the races in Florida's Primary, go to cbsmiami.com/campaign2020.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.