This congressional primary is one of the most important votes that Republicans in District 26 can make. 
Because this November is the best chance the GOP has to topple Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, who will have a far less stressful re-election cycle in the 2016 presidential year.
Ladra swears she entered this race with no real horse. In fact, with the exception of Mr. Lorenzo “Larry” Palomares-Starbuck, I’ve had a prior and pleasant relationship with all the other candidates. But as the days and weeks passed by, it became clear that one candidate really stood out as more statesmanlike and scandal-free than any other.
Cutler Bay Mayor Ed “Big Mac Daddy” MacDougall won my support because he earned my respect, 
something you can’t say about a lot of candidates nowadays. Sure, they have charisma and potential and experience and blah blah blah. But do they have your respect?
That’s just one reason. There are so many. I’m going to limit Ladra to 10 reasons to vote for Ed MacDougall. And we’re going to go backwards, ala Dave Letterman, just because we can:
Reason number 10: He has got so much congressional-like swagger going on already — combat veteran, narcotics cop, town mayor, small businessman, motorcycle ride across the U.S. — he is like the John Wayne of local politics. He looks like an incumbent. Heck, I see presidential material there.
Number 9: He’s a straight shooter who means what he says and says what he means. What you see is what 
you get with Mac. He doesn’t flip flop. Unlike Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos “Crybaby” Curbelo, who has gone hard right on what was once a soft and squishy immigration stance, Mac doesn’t waver. And that makes me think that his positions come from deeper than what the most recent polls say.
Number 8: He’s not going to change his cellphone number if elected. Because his positions don’t matter as much as ours. MacDougall wants to be the people’s voice in Washington, not his own. He wants to truly represent his constituents even when his personal opinion or belief is at odds.
Number 7: He has the guts to run in what is considered a “Hispanic” seat, the only Anglo in a five-man race who doesn’t think this region thinks that way anymore. He would likely win hands down anywhere else in the country — he’s that good a candidate.
Number 6: He doesn’t have a bunch of bogus or empty endorsements. “I haven’t sought any endorsements because I don’t want to go up there with any I.O.U.s.” MacDougall said. He’s endorsed by real people like the combat war veterans and the Kendall Federation of Homeowners’ Associations, who unlike Curbelo’s political celebrity endorsers, interviewed and considered everybody.
Number 5: He’s the only one of the five candidates on the ballot with specific issues he will hit the ground running on and the only one with no further political aspirations using this as a stepping stone.
Number 4: He has a successful business and doesn’t hide his income from that by putting it in his wife’s name, like Curbelo did so he wouldn’t have to disclose his lobbying clients, some of whom may do business with the school board.
Number 3: He took it upon himself to lead the fight against the tax money grab by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross last year, flying to Tallahassee to argue against it and forming a coalition of 20 mayors opposed to the deal.
Number 2: He’s not Carlos Curbelo.
And, the number 1 reason to vote for Ed MacDougall: He’s the best choice to beat Rep. Joe Garcia in November. That’s because he is squeaky clean while the others may have baggage. He will likely appeal to a lot of NPAs, like Ladra, and can maybe steal some Democrat votes because Garcia was hit with that absentee ballot scandal last year after he won and because Mac is a veteran, a former cop and, oh don’t forget, Anglo.
Curbelo is only the perceived frontrunner because the establishment (read: money) thinks he’s their best chance against Garcia. And they have to think that because they can’t believe that a gringo could beat a Hispanic in a voting rights district with a predominant Latino voter demographic.
So, basically, they only have one reason to vote for their guy. Ladra has 10 reasons to vote for Mac.
10 reasons to vote for Ed MacDougall for Congress added by Ladra on
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