In an interview with WLRN, Daniella Levine Cava recalled a Zoom meeting at the height of COVID-19 pandemic, when a Girl Scout asked how it felt to be Miami-Dade County’s first “girl mayor.”
“It feels great to be the first ‘girl’ mayor,” she said.
Later in the same call, the girl’s mother told her daughter, “Maybe one day, you’ll be mayor.”
“No—president,” the girl replied.
Levine Cava made history in 2020 as the first woman-elected mayor of Miami-Dade, one of the nation’s largest and most diverse counties. She was re-elected in August 2024 in a crowded field of five challengers. And in December 2025, former city commissioner Eileen Higgins was elected mayor of the City of Miami — the first woman to hold that role and the first Democrat in nearly 30 years. And Rosie Cordero Stutz became the first sheriff in county history.
Women are breaking through years of political underrepresentation in Miami. And as Levine Cava approaches the halfway point of her term—barred from running again by term limits—she’s reflecting on her path to leadership during Women’s History Month.
“I believe that if there’s something that needs to be done that you feel needs to be done and you can do it, you have a responsibility to do it,” she told a group of students at Florida International University in a forum sponsored by the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media.
At first, she didn’t run for office because she felt she wasn’t prepared. Instead, she focused on making an impact from outside the government — organizing petitions and advocating for policy changes. But then she was encouraged that it was a critical moment for her to run.
After defeating former County Commissioner Esteban “Steve” Bovo in the 2020 mayoral race, Levine Cava took office amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with Miami-Dade County—home to more than 2.7 million residents—emerging as one of the nation’s hardest-hit areas.
“When I became mayor, I think we did a very good job of managing that crisis and getting people the health care that they needed, stabilizing their housing situations, restoring jobs,” said Levine Cava.
But even with those efforts, she said, earning respect was a challenge.
“People were not expecting a woman mayor,” she said. “They undermined my positions on things. They didn’t treat me seriously, and it took a lot to change that.”
When Levine Cava first took office, gender disparities in Miami-Dade County were stark. According to the Status of Women in Miami-Dade County 2020 Report, women’s poverty rate was 17.6% compared with 14.2% for men,and labor force participation was 57.9% for women versus 69.7% for men. Median earnings for men were 19% higher than for women.
By 2025, the county reported some progress had been made, though gaps remain. Women’s poverty rate had fallen to 15.8% while men’s was 12.4%, and labor force participation rose to nearly 77% for women compared with 86% for men. Median earnings still lagged, with women earning on average 12.5% less than men.
“I was really encouraged in this report to see that the gap has actually shrunk,” she said.
Levine Cava has a theory about the cause.
She noted that during the COVID-19 era, many women left jobs or gave up businesses to take on caregiving responsibilities, which actually set progress back. Now, with a very low unemployment rate, there is a strong demand for workers—creating opportunities for people who might not otherwise be in the labor market.
“Perhaps that’s why we’ve done better,” she said.
She also acknowledged that women are outpacing men in earning bachelor’s degrees, with 38.3% of women holding a degree compared with 35.6% of men.
Despite the gender disparity improvements, a report in January from the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade County found that insufficient childcare costs the county nearly $1 billion annually, as working parents are limited in their ability to participate fully in the workforce.
Nearly 80% of the gender wage gap is linked to factors associated with motherhood, and racial and economic disparities further deepen the impact. In Florida, 72% of Black parents, 62% of Hispanic parents, and 57% of White parents reported that childcare challenges limited their workforce participation or career advancement.
In Miami-Dade, the average annual cost of childcare for a single infant is $13,560, about $1,130 per month, roughly 17% of a typical household budget. Infant care in Florida costs $8,403 more per year on average than in-state tuition at a four-year public college.
Levine Cava said these gaps have a direct effect on families.
“I’ve lobbied in the past for a higher percentage of poverty access to subsidized child care,” she said. “But unfortunately, this state is one of the least generous when it comes to these sorts of benefits, and so we don’t have what we need.
“These programs are extremely valuable. They help people be able to go to work, but also prepare our children for the future, which is so critically important.”
Now, halfway through her final term, she emphasizes the importance of mentoring the next generation of women leaders.
“Leadership starts at the local level,” she said. “It’s really critically important that we do more to mentor girls and women, to prepare them for leadership roles.”
But she remains concerned that her successor may not prioritize gender equality or continue addressing the challenges women face in leadership.
“We’re backtracking, and I’m afraid that – this country especially – has created a space for even hate to be acceptable,” she said. “It’s very, very dangerous, and I think we need to change the narrative.”
She stressed the need to equip the next generation to challenge the hate.
“It is important that we teach young people to speak up, to stand up, to organize,” she said. “And I hope that this is just a spiral. We have taken steps forward, now a couple back, and that will continue to ascend with a greater approach to equality of opportunity across the board.”
While she isn’t sure what her next role will be, Levine Cava – now age 72 –concluded, “I’m hoping that my health and my staff’s stamina will be sufficient for me to take on an important role in the future.”
Story written by Sofia Baltodano, interview conducted by Natalie La Roche Pietri.
