Carlos A. Giménez (born January 17, 1954) is a Cuban American ( naturalized in January 1975) retired firefighter and politician who served as the Mayor of Miami-Dade County , Florida, since winning a June 28, 2011, special election . He previously served as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner from 2003 through 2011, and was the fire chief of the City of Miami Fire Department . He is a member of the Republican Party ; however, his position as mayor of Miami-Dade County was a nonpartisan one.