Miami Republican Rep. Vicki Lopez is vacating her office in the House to fill an open seat on the Miami-Dade Commission.

Lopez will join the panel, whose 12 current members voted 7-5 for a resolution appointing her to fill the District 5 seat vacated earlier this month by Eileen Higgins, a Democrat.

Lopez is to hold the post until at least the 2026 Midterm Election, when the seat will again be up for grabs in accordance with county charter rules.

District 5 covers parts of Miami and Miami Beach, including the neighborhoods of Brickell, Downtown Miami, Little Havana, Miami River, Mid Beach, The Roads, Silver Bluff, Shenandoah, South Beach and West Flagler.

Lopez comes to the job after an effective tenure as a state lawmaker. She won House District 113 by 2 points in 2022, flipping t

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