Braman backs Renier DLP’s state bid

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Ladra got a facebook  invitation Tuesday night for the first fund raiser for Miami-Dade School Board Member Renier Diaz de la Portilla in his new, redirected campaign for state rep, and there are no less than 15 names on the host committee, including his colleague, School Board member Martin Karp, Coral Gables architect Javier Salman and longtime lobbyist and political booster Rick Sisser.

Top billing, however, went to Norman Braman.

Yes, the car dealer-turned-political-sugar daddy who led the recall effort last year against former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and then stuck his green hand into several local races and charter amendment issues appears to be supporting the youngest of the DLP political dynasty as he shifts from a re-election campaign to the school board, where Renier has served since 2006, to the Florida House, where he sat from 2000 to 2002 after he inherited the seat from his brother, former State Senator Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who is also running for a house seat again in a different district against former State Rep. Gus Barreiro (more on that later). Braman leads the list of hosts for next Wednesday’s fundraiser for Renier at the Miami Beach home of Marcos and Tiffany Lapciuc.

Could the DLPs be nostalgic? Do they miss Tally? Or is it that they just can’t stand to be separated from brother Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla during session? Since Miguel, 49,  is in the midst of a re-election campaign, this could put (read: will likely end with) all the DLPs in Tallahassee at the same time again. Ya tu sabes. If you think they are a little cocky now, imaginate.

Anyway, Miguel has a head start on his campaign fundraising with $147,000 collectedas of the reporting period that ended Dec. 31. But, even though nobody has filed to challenge him so far, that figure is way short of the $690,000 he spent in 2010 to beat former State Rep. Julio Robaina for the post and, you know, political operatives have to make a living, too, so expect him to at least double that by the reporting deadline at the end of this month. Alex, 47, has not filed any finance reports since he just filed his intent to run on Valentine’s Day (be still my beating heart). But his huge name recognition, especially after his successful work on the campaign to elect Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, should help him hit the ground running. And, because DLP blood is thicker than most, Miguel will find a way to use his funds to help his brothers if he does not draw an opponent.

Still, Renier, 40, could probably use the Braman bucks if he is to unseat State Rep. Barbara Watson (Dem., District 103).  He has already spent about half of the $39,000 it  as taken him almost four years to raise on the school board campaign (while brother Miguel raised that $150K in a year). Manny Diaz, Jr., president of the Hialeah Miami Lakes Republican Club, has raised $35,500, including some bundled contributions from healthcare and managed care interests and $500 contributions from State Rep. Jose Oliva (Rep., District 110) and from Roberto Cayon (who helped finance both Robaina’s failedcounty bid and the successful campaign for Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez). Diaz has spent less than $9,000. But he hasn’t raised a dime since June and Ladra predicts, now that there is a DLP name in the hat, that he will bow out of the contest out of sheer respect and a desire to  not waste his time. A fourth challenger, Democrat Sharon Prichett, has collected $17,295 in 180 contributions — some of them as small as $5 and $25. Ladra likes seeing more and smaller contrubtions. But I bet you won’t see those figures on a DLP report.

Maybe Renier can hit Demetrio Perez, who has contributed $3,500 in multiple bundled gifts of $500 a piece, for more checks. There were $500 maximum contributions from The Factor Inc., the consulting firm owned by political consultant Ana Carbonell, who ran the failed county mayoral campaign for former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina (did she forget that Alex DLP helped bring Robaina down?), Maggie Fressen (sister of State Rep. Erik Fressen), School Board Member Carlos Curbelo, political consultant Freddy Balsera, lobbyists Brian May, John Cerra and Felix Lasarte and from attorney Marili Cancio, an active member of the local GOP, former Congressional candidate and daughter of former county mayoral candidate and gentleman extraordinaire Jose “Pepe” Cancio.  He also got at least $1,500 from lobbyist Ron Book (checks from him and his relatives) and $2,000 from businessman Anibal Duarte-Viera, who sits on the Barreiro Foundation with Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, whose half brother is running against Alex DLP in that other race. Whew. I’m getting dizzy already.

Yes, it’s flowchart time again.

And Ladra can hardly wait for the next campaign finance reports to be filed after the end of the month to see how much more crazy crossover cash there is.

And who else among the dozens of candidates in municipal, statewide and federal elections this year will get Braman backing. His phone must be ringing off the hook.