The Federated Women’s Republican Club of Miami will host the first debate between the candidates in the highly anticipated 
Republican primary who are vying this August for a chance to run in the 26th Congressional district against Democrat incumbent Congressman Joe Garcia.
So far, four of the five candidates have confirmed they will be at the June 23 debate. The one who hasn’t said yes or no is likely the one that many of these club members hope most to see: Former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera, whose role in what U.S. prosecutors say was the illegal financing of a staged candidate in 2012, is still unknown.
Rivera, who lost to Garcia that year, announced last month, a day before qualifying, that he wanted a rematch — and immediately changed the race completely. Some say he just made it more interesting. Others say he basically killed the other’s hopes and dreams.
Related post: David Rivera: Damned if he did; damned if he didn’t
The others, who have each confirmed their attendance at the debate, are Miami-Dade School Boa
rd Member Carlos Curbelo, Cutler Bay Mayor Ed MacDougall, former Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez and constitutional attorney Larry Palomares Starbuck, who may be an actual candidate after announcing last week that former Congressman Dan Burton, whose nod everyone expected to go to Rivera. Burton, if you recall, is co-sponsor of the Helms-Burton law that imposes additional sanctions on the Cuban government, which is the topic Rivera owns best of all.
So where is Rivera’s RSVP? “I’m considering it,” he told Ladra Thursday.
Yeah, riiiiiight.
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1st Congressional primary debate missing one: David Rivera added by Ladra on
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