For the first time in history, the Broward County Commission will have two Jamaican-Americans occupying seats.
This comes as Alexandra P. Davis, the Vice Mayor of Miramar, secured the Broward County Commission Seat for District 7 without opposition following the close of qualifying on June 14.
Davis will officially take on her new role after the elections on November 5, continuing her service on the Miramar Commission until then.
Expressing her gratitude on social media, Davis posted, “I must first thank God for his mercies for they endureth forever! Thank you to my family, my mother..may her soul rest in peace, my son for believing in me and my abilities, my siblings, many cousins..my campaign team, my community…I ran over 13 years ago to make a difference in Miramar and I hope that that difference has been felt! Now l am Broward County Commissioner Elect for District 7 which comprises parts of Miramar, Pembroke Pines, and Hollywood and I will continue my track record of making things happen for the people I represent! Just know that I love you, will work hard for you and there’s nothing you can do about it!”
Another Jamaican-American Broward County Commissioner Hazelle Rogers is also running unopposed for re-election in Broward’s District 9.
Long history in public service in Broward County
Both Rogers and Davis have a long history in public service.
The Kingston-born Rogers began her political career in 1996 when she was elected to office in Lauderdale Lakes, where she served for 12 years, making her the first person from the English-speaking Caribbean-American community elected to office in the southeastern United States. She was the only woman on her seven-member commission.
She was later elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2008, making her the first Jamaican and second person from the English-speaking Caribbean to be elected to the House; she was re-elected subsequently. In 2016, the voters in Lauderdale Lakes elevated her with a 66 percent vote to the office of Mayor. In 2020, she ran unopposed for another 4-year term.
Read: City of Lauderhill Proclaims Sept. 29 ‘Mayor Hazelle Rogers Day’
On the other hand, Davis’s journey in politics began in 2010 when she was first elected to the Miramar Commission. She served until 2014 when she gave up her seat to unsuccessfully challenge Broward Commissioner Barbara Sheriff for her seat. Davis, of Jamaican heritage, was born in England and raised in Jamaica. She has spent most of her life in public service, including at the Ministry of Agriculture in Kingston, Jamaica, The Capital Taxes office in London, England, and the Miami-Dade County Government.
In 2019, she was re-elected to the Miramar commission for a second time. She has also served as Vice Mayor of the city twice.
Broward County, Florida, is home to a vibrant and diverse Caribbean-American population, with a particularly strong presence of Jamaican immigrants and their descendants.
In 2010, Dale Holness became the first Jamaican-American elected to the Broward County Commission. He became mayor of the county in 2019.
