ADLP wins endorsement from local leaders

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So what if Miami-Dade Commissioner Mayor Sir Xavier Suarez has backed Jose Javier Rodriguez in the newbie’s bid for state rep in District 112? An act, by the way, that drew the ire of former State Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla in a nasty robocall that calls him “crazy” and tries to steal credibility from his consent (more on that later).

Dean DLP, the de facto incumbent and frontrunner, has gotten the endorsements of four, count ’em, four locally elected leaders — including key nods from Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff.

“I need Alex Diaz de la Portilla in the state legislature,” Gimenez was quoted as saying in a press release. “In fact, we all need Alex Diaz de la Portilla in the state legislature.”

Gimenez, who also recorded several robocalls for the Diaz de la Portilla — king of the annoying but effective strategy — said he can get more done in Miami-Dade with Diaz de la Portilla in Tallahassee and mentioned references to Dean DLP’s past securing funds for the clean up of the Miami River and to continue meals on wheels for seniors when they were in danger of being cut.

“Alex is an honest man who will clean up our waterways, secure funding for our seniors’ meals and work to lower our taxes,” the mayor was quoted as saying. “How do I know this? Because he has done it before,” the mayor said in the statement.

Sarnoff, whose city district overlaps somewhat with the newly-redrawn, gave pretty much the same reason to support the Dean — because he can hit the ground running. “He gets what’s important to us,” said Sarnoff, a longtime Grove resident who also recorded robocalls for the former senate majority leader.

Rodriguez, who spent much of the morning at the Miami City Hall early voting site, said he knew about the support. “They’ve already been doing robocalls for about a week,” he said of the Gimenez endorsement. “I heard about the Sarnoff call yesterday,” Rodriguez told Ladra on Tuesday.

He added that his own elected backers have been working for him — hosting fundraisers, getting contributions and motivating voters — rather than talking for him. In addition to Commissioner Mayor Sir X, they include State Reps. Cynthia Stafford, Joseph Gibbons, and Dwight Bullard, Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and former County Commissioner Katy Sorensen, all of whom hosted a fundraiser for him earlier this month at a Brickell apartment owned by Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee Finance Chair Joseph Perkins, (and the Florida Democratic Party is backing him more than the RPOF is backing ADLP, too). Las malas lenguas say he also has the backing of State Rep. Luis Garcia, who is termed out and seeking a county commission seat (more on that later) and reportedly recruited Rodriguez into this race, though he is being secretive and silent about it.

“We’re not doing communications with our endorsements. Our endorsements are to get votes and get money,” Rodriguez told Ladra.

While he spoke, three voters left. “The line is too long. We’ll come back early tomorrow,” one said.

Diaz de la Portilla, who has been spotted at the Coral Gables Library early voting site, was MIA again from his campaign office — he is prone to escaping the chaos — and unavailable to comment on it. He has not been spotted at any of the early voting sites. But he was quoted in the press release as saying he was thankful for their support from two community leaders “who have always put the people first.”

“When you have people that are real reformers and that fight to help every single person in our community, how can you not be honored by their support? I am moved by the fact that they believe in me and I hope to earn the trust of the residents of district 112,” Diaz de la Portilla said.

But the Dean forgot to mention the other two electeds who are also supporting him: Coral Gables Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, founding Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn (a Democrat backing a staunch Republican while Suarez, a Republican, is backing the Democrat candidate).

Both gave pretty much the same reason as Gimenez and Sarnoff: Diaz de la Portilla’s track record. Or, as the Dean likes to put it, the proof in the pudding.

“Number one, I don’t know the other guy,” said Cabrera, referring to Rodriguez’s short time in the community and absent name recognition.

“And number two, I actually worked with Alex during his years in Tallahassee. He was always very accessible, very cooperative, very supportive and responsive. Each and every time I would call him, I would get what we needed here in Coral Gables.”

Cabrera says he hasn’t raised any money for the Dean because he has to stump the ground for his own mayoral run in the City Beautiful, for which he had his kick-off this week (more on that later).  But he’s willing to do a robocall (get him on the phone, Alex), despite the Dean’s, er, gruff style.

“I know he’s kind of rough but I don’t mind rough as long as you can get things done,” Cabrera said. (Hey, Ralph, people might even say the same thing about you.)

Flinn, too, recognizes the Dean’s, um, salty, disposition but is willing to do a robocall and has sent him an endorsement letter, he said.

“Forget personalities. Alex was there for Palmetto Bay. He was very, very good for us as a legislator,” said Flinn, who was founding mayor of Palmetto Bay and lost his bid for a county commission seat (to replace retiring Katy Sorensen) last year.

“Alex was instrumental in getting us the money we need in Palmetto Bay, somewhere around $20 million in state and federal dollars, when he was in Tallahassee,” Flinn told Ladra. “It’s people like Alex Diaz de la Portilla who understand what we need and knows how to make it happen.”

So why didn’t the Dean promote his plug?

Maybe because he’s a Dem? Or something else?

“I did lose my last election, so maybe my name doesn’t carry that much weight,” he said.