Two years out, House 114 seat becomes contested primary

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Two weeks after State Rep. Erik Fresen was re-elected to the State House with a much larger margin than expected, his seat has already become a contested one for the Republican primary 21 months away.

Jose Pazos, a condo association manager who is partners with former State Rep. Julio “The Good One” Robaina and Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan “Zorro” Zapata, filed Tuesday to run for the 114 nomination. He will be announcing it tomorrow on Cuban radio — but you heard it hear first.

You think he’s early? Think again. John Couriel, who ran and lost against Sen. Gwen Margolis in 2012, filed for the seat in August and has already raised $11,500.

“I thought I would be the early bird, but apparently now for state races you have to start three years in advance,” said Pazos, who lost his first bid for state House when he ran to replace Robaina in 2010 to State Rep. Michael Bileca.

Now, we have a GOP showdown in the district.

“They’ll have to duke it out,” said Miami-Dade Republican Party Chairman Nelson Diaz, who has been promoting Couriel and, although he said the local party will not endorse for the primary, is obviously in the tank already.

“He’s a highly qualified individual, a former prosecutor. There is no one more qualified than John Couriel for that seat,” Diaz said.

Couriel could not be immediately reached for comment. But Pazos might take issue with that assessment. He says he wants to go to Tallahassee to fight for consumer rights.

“A lot of the laws passed for consumer protection when Zapata and Robaina and [former State Rep. J.C.] Planas were there have been undone or slightly amended. I don’t see consumer protection taking a front seat,” Pazos told Ladra.

He also wants to help the delegation bring more state dollars back home.

“We continue to be a donor county and we don’t see the dollars coming back like they should,” Pazos said. “It’s improved, but we need to do better.”

He may immediately become the front runner with his ability to pull votes. Pazos has lived in the district for years (it was redrawn so that he was in 117 but is now in 114 without moving) and his firm represents several homeowner associations in the north end of the district. And his business partner was the mayor in South Miami, which is also in the district.

Ross Hancock, the NPA who ran and got single digits against Fresen has also filed — actually in October, since I guess he knew he was going to lose this year. Ladra thinks he just can’t help himself.

Folks are pretty confident that Democrat Daisy Baez, who built up some good name recognition and gave Fresen a run for his money in a Republican midterm year, will run again in 2016. She has not yet filed but everyone says she will.

But we can also be sure that more people will jump into this race — on both sides of the aisle. It is the only open seat in 2016, unless Rep. Frank Artiles, as rumored for months, decides not to run for re-election.

  Florida House, John Couriel, Jose Pazos