Juan-Carlos Planas

Juan-Carlos Planas (Republican Party) (also known as J. C.) was a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 115. He assumed office in 2002. He left office in 2010.

Planas (Democratic Party) ran for election for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections in Florida. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Planas completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Juan-Carlos Planas was born in Miami, Florida. He earned an associate degree from Miami Dade College in 1990, a bachelor's degree from Florida State University in 1993, and a law degree from the St. Thomas University School of Law in 1998. Planas' professional experience includes working as an attorney, assistant state attorney for Miami-Dade County, and professor. He has served as a member of the Baypoint Schools Board, Kiwanis Club of Little Havana, Miami-Dade Children's Trust, Saint Thomas Law School President's Board of Advisors, South Florida Wings for Life Board, and Club Feloship.^[1]^[2]

Committee assignments

2009-2010

Criminal & Civil Justice Appropriations Committee
Elder & Family Services Policy Committee
Government Accountability Act Council
Public Counsel Oversight Committee, Florida State Legislature (Alternating Chair)
Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Alina Garcia defeated Juan-Carlos Planas in the general election for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Alina Garcia (R)	55.8	580,061
	Juan-Carlos Planas (D)	44.2	458,770

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,038,831
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Juan-Carlos Planas defeated Willis Howard and Arnold Weiss in the Democratic primary for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections on August 20, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Juan-Carlos Planas	46.2	51,119
	Willis Howard	39.1	43,241
	Arnold Weiss	14.8	16,366

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 110,726
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Alina Garcia advanced from the Republican primary for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Ruth Swanson (R)
Megan Pearl (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Planas in this election.

2008

In 2008, Planas won re-election to the Florida House of Representatives from Florida's 115th District. Planas ran unopposed in the election. He raised $19,225 for his campaign.^[3]

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Juan-Carlos Planas completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Planas' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an election lawyer and adjunct Professor of Election Law. I have conducted over 20 recounts in multiple counties in Florida and have represented numerous candidates before the county canvassing board on the nights votes are counted. Prior to becoming an election attorney, I served in the Florida House of Representatives between 2002 and 2010.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The right to vote must be protected at all cost, and we must do everything possible, not to disenfranchise the votes of those who are legally entitled to vote.
We protect the right to vote by ensuring communication and transparency, always having the latest technology and having the best staff to assist voters.
We will go out into all areas of the community to ensure that we can register voters and sign them up for vote by Mail in the areas where they live without them needing to come to the elections department.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Protecting our democracy.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This office is the front line in preserving our democracy in Miami Dade County.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Former Florida Governor Ruben Askew. He is responsible for most of the states, ethics laws, and the Sunshine amendment which bars governments from making fundamental decisions in private.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The TV series, The West Wing.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

We need to ensure the sincerity of all elected officials. We should elect individuals based on what they believe and what their experience is not what they are pretending to be.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe that I have the most experience of all the candidates in the electoral process.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The Supervisor Of Elections will maintain the voter roles, and ensure a safe and efficient election. Experience with the electoral process is needed to be able to achieve these key goals.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As the first elected Supervisor Of Elections in Miami Dade County, I would like to leave the legacy of competent professionals serving in this office instead of career politicians.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Even though I was three years old, I remember Nixon having to resign after Watergate.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Mc Donald’s. I worked there for roughly 4 months and then I worked at Publix as a bag boy for roughly a year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

It is a tie. First, Illusions, The adventures of a reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach. I read this in my creative writing class in high school and it changed my perspective of many things.

Second, Wicked by Gregory McGuire. The book is much more political than the play and really highlights how sometimes history can mischaracterize the truth and how we should be weary of people just because they have titles.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Josiah “Jed” Bartlet

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

MmmBop by Hanson.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I was very upfront during my time in the legislature about my struggles with ADD caused by a genetic issue issue that runs in my family. I struggled academically until I was diagnosed and went on medication.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

This office has the ability to set the maximum amount of hours for early voting. Conversely, anyone wishing to repress the vote can shorten the hours for early voting to the detriment of the voters. I pledge to always have the maximum hours for early voting in general elections.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Well, it is not crucial to have experience in government or politics, it is extremely essential that the Supervisor Of Elections be someone with knowledge of how our electoral system works, and the issues involved in running an election.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

It is imperative that the Supervisor Of Elections have in-depth knowledge of the major election statutes, be experienced with the laws regarding vote by mail ballots and possess in-depth knowledge of how precincts and early voting centers operate. It is also crucial to have experience with the recount process.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

This office will be the front line and protecting our democracy.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Not for publication

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have been endorsed by UTD, SEIU, AFSCME, The Miami Herald and numerous municipal and county officials.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency is crucial in this position as we must ensure that the public’s money is not misused and the overall expense is directly geared towards conducting a safe and fair election.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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External links

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Candidate

Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed December 18, 2014
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2024
↑ Follow the Money, "2008 Contributions," accessed December 18, 2014

Political offices
Preceded by -	Florida House of Representatives District 115 2002-2010	Succeeded by -

[1] Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed December 18, 2014

[2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2024

[3] Follow the Money, "2008 Contributions," accessed December 18, 2014

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Juan-Carlos Planas

Contents

Biography

Committee assignments

2009-2010

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections

Republican primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

2008

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Public Policy

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