Carlos Lopez-Cantera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlos Lopez-Cantera
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 19th Lieutenant Governor of Florida | |
| In office February 3, 2014 – January 7, 2019 |
|
| Governor | Rick Scott |
| Preceded by | Jennifer Carroll |
| Succeeded by | Jeanette Nuñez |
| Property Appraiser of Miami-Dade County | |
| In office January 1, 2013 – February 3, 2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Pedro Garcia |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Garcia |
| Majority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives | |
| In office November 16, 2010 – November 20, 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Adam Hasner |
| Succeeded by | Steve Precourt |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 113th district |
|
| In office November 2, 2004 – November 7, 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Manuel Prieguez |
| Succeeded by | David Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 29, 1973 Madrid, Spain |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Renee
(m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Miami Dade College (AA) University of Miami (BBA) |
Carlos Lopez-Cantera, born on December 29, 1973, is an American politician. He served as the 19th lieutenant governor of Florida from 2014 to 2019.
As a member of the Republican Party, Lopez-Cantera represented the 113th district in the Florida House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012. During his last two years there, he was the Majority Leader. In 2012, he was elected as the property appraiser for Miami-Dade County. On January 14, 2014, Governor Rick Scott chose Lopez-Cantera to be the Lieutenant Governor of Florida. He finished the term of the previous Lieutenant Governor, Jennifer Carroll, and was then elected to a full term in November 2014.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Carlos Lopez-Cantera was born in Madrid, Spain. His father was Cuban and Catholic, and his mother was Jewish. He was born two months early. Once he was healthy enough to travel, he moved with his parents to Miami, Florida.
He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1994. In 1996, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami. He also studied political science.
Political Career
.jpg)
Serving in the Florida House of Representatives
In 1997, Lopez-Cantera helped the Florida Senate's criminal justice committee. In 2002, he tried to win a seat in the Florida House of Representatives but was not successful. Two years later, in November 2004, he won his first election to the Florida House of Representatives for the 113th District. He was reelected in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
From 2008 to 2010, he was the House Majority Whip. This role helps make sure party members vote together. From 2010 to 2012, he became the House Majority Leader. This means he was a main leader for his political party in the House.
His fellow politicians from Miami-Dade County chose him twice to be the chairman of their legislative group, from 2011 to 2012. On August 14, 2012, he was elected as the property appraiser for Miami-Dade County. This county has over 2.5 million people and nearly 1 million properties.
Becoming Lieutenant Governor of Florida
On January 14, 2014, Governor Rick Scott announced that Carlos Lopez-Cantera would be the new Lieutenant Governor of Florida. The Lieutenant Governor is like a second-in-command to the Governor. Lopez-Cantera was chosen to finish the term of the previous Lieutenant Governor, Jennifer Carroll, who had resigned.
In November 2014, he ran alongside Governor Scott and was elected to a full term as Lieutenant Governor. He served in this important role until 2019.
In 2015, Lopez-Cantera announced he would run for the United States Senate. He wanted to take the place of Senator Marco Rubio, who was running for president. However, Lopez-Cantera decided not to run after Senator Rubio announced he would seek reelection to the Senate in 2016. In 2018, Lopez-Cantera chose not to run for Governor of Florida. Instead, he supported another candidate, Adam Putnam, in the Republican primary election.
Life After Politics
After leaving his political office, Carlos Lopez-Cantera started working in the private sector. This means he began working for businesses instead of the government. He became a leader for a group called Jax Industrial Three Ltd, based in Coral Gables. In 2024, this group applied for a permit in north Jacksonville for a large project. It was estimated to cost about $8.86 million to complete.
Personal Life
Carlos Lopez-Cantera's mother is Jewish, and his father is Catholic. He married Renee in 2005, and she is also Jewish. They have two daughters. In 2016, Lopez-Cantera celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall.
See also
