Five of the six Miami-Dade County commissioners up for re-election this year have raised more than $100,000 each — and half got close or surpassed $200,000 — to stay in office.
Only Commissioner Javier Souto, who is seen as vulnerable and drew a second opponent last month, raised less than $100K. Much less, with $44,500 as of Jan. 31, according to campaign finance reports submitted Friday and online Monday.
Topping the list is not, as expected, Vice Chair Lynda Bell, who is facing the only real challenge so far. Bell raised $205,000 but only $21,000 in the last quarter. That’s the same period during which Daniella Levine Cava raised nearly $140,000. Which some say is something to be worried about. Anyway, she is in second place.
First place in the money race with nine months to go is Commissioner Jean Moonestime, who raised almost $210,000 — including more than $38,000 last month (and Ladra loves these new monthly reporting deadlines even if the candidates do not). He faces two challengers, including former Commissioner Dorrin Rolle, from whom the first Haitian-American commissioner took that seat. Rolle has raised a paltry $8,800 so he’s not much of a threat yet.
Interestingly enough, both the top banks belong to candidates who hired professional rainmaker Brian Goldmeier, who cut his teeth on the Alex Sink gubernatorial campaign before becoming one of the original G-Men as fundraiser for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Ladra’s been told Goldmeier also helped the next two top-funded incumbents with events, so I see a pattern there.
The three other commissioners still have no opposition, but they are raising funds as if they did.
The second highest bank belongs to Commissioner Sally Heyman, who has $183,000, of which about $37,000 came in the last month. About half, or $92,000, came in $1,000 checks, which is the new maximum under state laws that changed Nov. 1 (more on that later) and which allow candidates to collect twice as much from the usual suspects, which include the regular law firms and lobbyists Ron Book and Armando Gutierrez. And she got $5K each from Stuart Meyers family and the SafeWrap people. The red light camera people only gave $2,000, though, so maybe more is coming from them.
Heyman has no challenge — yet. Word is some union leaders are actively recruiting an opponent and elected officials in all the cities within her district got anonymous letters last month urging them to run for county commission against her. It’s really only a matter of time.
Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz had the best month of January among his colleagues, pulling in nearly $105,000 for a $126,500 total so far. He has 71 maximum checks so more than half of his booty is made up of $1,000 donations. Among the fans are developer Michael Adler and chauffeur-turned-lobbyist Rafael Garcia-Toledo, who each gave at least $4,000 that Ladra could identify through companies and/or designated spouses. Developer Lewis Swezy gave $2,000, as did lobbyist and former State Rep. Manny Prieguez, who is still active but keeps a low key profile. Lobbyist Brian May, former State Rep. Marcelo Llorente, Doral Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz and Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo each gave $1,000 that I could see.
Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa has a total of $116,000, but — maybe because she has no opposition either — she doesn’t seem to be trying too hard. Only $12,500 came in the last month. Her big month was November, with $71,000 coming in. December followed with about half, at $32,000. She, too, is taking the $1,000 maximum to heart, collecting at least 64 big checks. Those included a grand each from lobbyists Jose Luis Lopez, Brian May and Armando Gutierrez.
It also includes $9,000 from the different companies owned by Pedro Munilla and his brothers, who have business with the county at the airport and hope to get a multi-million contract to build clean energy facilities in the county. Ladra thinks this is going to be an expensive year for the Munillas.
County commission incumbents raise big money to stay put added by Ladra on
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