Former State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez, who everyone knows really wants to be Hialeah 
mayor more than anything else in the world, seems to be riding this city election out on the heels of last year’s loss in the property appraiser’s race.
But he’s not staying out completely.
And neither is former Mayor Julio Robaina, who is rumored to be aching for a political comeback after being acquitted last year of federal tax evasion charges.
Both are among a slew of hosts to the kick-off fundraiser for the two incumbents thrown by Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez. Councilwoman Vivian “I’ll Notarize That” Casals-Muñoz and Councilman Jose Caragol — who, last year, Gonzalez was poised to run against — are the only ones with challenges. Council members Isis Garcia-Martinez and Lourdes Lozano don’t have anyone running against them and the filing deadline was July 27.
Gonzalez, whose sister sent his friends an email on his behalf last week, is listed as state rep., not “former” state rep. El pobre. He doesn’t yet have a new title to hang on to. 
Ladra hears he was trying at one point to get the city manager’s job in Opa-Locka.
Read related story: Pedro Garcia kills it over Eddy Gonzalez and his money
Others on the long list of enablers: Hialeah Gardens Mayor Yoiset DeLa Cruz, State Reps. Manny Diaz, Jr., (R-Hialeah Gardens), Jose Oliva (R-Miami Lakes), Bryan Avila, (R-Hialeah and Gonzalez’s heir), State Sen. Rene Garcia, Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo and, from neighboring Miami Lakes, Vice Mayor Manny Cid and Councilmen Ceasar Mestre and Frank Mingo.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves. You know who these hoodlums are and what they do (i.e. steal votes from old people who don’t even know their name and scare elderly Hialeah Housing residents into voting for them or else).
Naturally, the rest of the Seguro Que Yes Council in Hialeah is hosting, too: Council President “Gavel Girl” Garcia-Martinez and Lozano, who are breathing a sigh of relief, and Council VP Luis Gonzalez and council members Katharine Cue-Fuente and Paul Hernandez.
The event is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Hialeah Race Track, which will probably have checks waiting for each of the candidates, as well as checks from owner John Brunetti and some of his relatives and some of his associates.
Read related story: Gonzalez exits mayor’s race for now
It’s interesting that Gonzalez is now part of the Castro clan. They used to be at odds when Gonzalez had planned to run for mayor against Hernandez in 2011. He pulled out of the race only because former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez and former State Sen. Rudy Garcia also ran for the seat.
Then he planned to run for the council seat occupied by Caragol. Hernandez made sure that didn’t happen by getting a legal opinion that stated that Caragol had not reached term limits because he only filled a portion of one term. And that is when Gonzalez switched to the property appraiser’s race last year that he lost.
Is his support now part of a deal for his mayoral run later?
But Robaina’s open involvement is even more interesting.
This is his first foray back into the political world and folks have told Ladra that Robaina — who looks a little bit like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — is eyeing that Senate seat that will be vacated by Rene Garcia due to term limits in 2018. I know. Ladra’s eyebrows pinched also. I mean, even though he was acquitted, Robaina’s name was dragged through the mud and some of the things he did are going to serve up nicely in a negative campaign — like getting $800,000 for land deal where he doesn’t remember what he did.
But strangers things have happened in the political 305. This could be his political rebirth.
Julio Robaina, Eddy Gonzalez host Hialeah fundraiser added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
