Everybody knows already that I am voting for Raquel Regalado for
mayor of Miami-Dade. I’ve listed my reasons for years, because it’s really a referendum on Carlos Gimenez and the lousy job he has been doing and the climate of pay-to-play politics he has created, all documented here. Just do a search on Carlos Gimenez. Go back to 2012.
But Raquel is a good candidate in her own right. In six years on the school board, she has helped turn what was once a chaotic laughing stock — the fourth largest district in the country — into a national model. She has reformed the way they do business, from an overhaul of their bus maintenance to pioneering social media and tech policies. From construction to facilities to special education — where she has helped bring education into the 21st century — Raquel has had a hands on approach to her job as one of nine school board members 
in charge of a $3.2 billion budget and overseeing about 50,000 employees, twice as much as the county.
She has a lot of good ideas. Just check them out on her very well written website (ahem).
And we’ve never had a woman as Miami-Dade mayor and I’m excited about that.
But there are a lot of other important races on Tuesday’s ballot, too. And because people are constantly asking me who or how I’m voting, I decided to post my recommendations for this Aug. 30th. As a proud, card-carrying NPA, this at least gives me the chance to cast a ballot, however straw it may be, in races where I otherwise have no say.
I’m not weighing in on every race, just the ones where I feel I can. And where I care. And I may not always have such an articulate and/or valid reason as I do with the mayoral race. But here goes:
FOR U.S. SENATE
Republican Marco Rubio because I don’t have to have a valid reason. See? I told you. I may not agree with a lot of his positions on issues like climate change and gay marriage, but I like him. A 
lot. I think he’s real and authentic and he isn’t just telling me what I want to hear. I like his story. I like his family. I like his boots. I like the way he talks. His words move me and I’m jaded AF. Ask anyone. It helps that he grew up down the street — who doesn’t want to root for the home team — and that his mom and I worked at the same K-Mart in Westchester (but I don’t know if it was at the same time). Plus I think that he cannot negatively impact gay marriage, which is legal now, or sea level rise response, which is inevitable.
Democrat Pam Keith because Ladra is half rabblerouser, like her. And because everything she says makes sense. And because the other two guys get on my nerves. Someone please tell Congressman Patrick Murphy that he shouldn’t email me more than once a day.
FOR U.S. HOUSE
DISTRICT 26: Democrat Joe Garcia, because no matter how hard she tries people just don’t
like Annette Taddeo — or maybe it’s that they don’t trust her — and I still think Garcia has a better chance of beating Carlos Curbelo in November. And if Carlos Curbelo, a liar and lobbyist with a secret client list, isn’t upset this year he’ll be there forever, like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. And we can’t have that. Garcia isn’t always right. But, like Rubio, he’s a true believer. He really thinks he’s right. He’s not doing it for a proxy. And I’ll take a true believer who just happens to be wrong sometimes to a sinister liar trying to game the system any day. The former congressman might have been beaten two years ago by Curbelo, but that was in an off year.
Read related story: Awkward! Annette Taddeo, Joe Garcia face off with polite jabs
DISTRICT 27:
Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen because none of the others can hit the ground running. IRL is a legend who still has a little pull in D.C. With Republicans. With Democrats. She is a popular senior in high school. She is not a Freshman transplant. She will be able to do more.
Democrat Scott Fuhrman because it doesn’t really matter since nobody can beat Ileana, not even a Democrat in a Hillary year. Her gay cred with a transgeder son and her pro-Dreamer immigration stance makes her a crossover darling. But Fuhrman is fun to watch and might make a good elected — one day. So let’s give him the practice.
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I’m a Republican and used to like Rubio. I thought he had a great political career ahead of him. Unfortunately because he showed that he can’t stick to a decision, I lost all respect for the man. He has displayed his indecisions before, during and after his primary run. He first said he wasn’t going to run for President, then he change his mind and ran. During the primary he said he was going to run until the very end, then he backed out after the Florida primaries. Then he said he wasn’t going to run for the Senate again, now look what he’s doing.
obviously you were right about Anne Taddeo but I still think Joe Garcia is all talk no action or substance.
What an abysmal shame that the U.S. Senate race comes down to an absentee incumbent and a resume embellisher. When will stellar, worthy, deserving candidates ever rise up and contest a Senate seat again in this Sunshine State? We won’t always have Bill Nelson around, folks, or for very much longer.
Exactly Alex. Rubio is an empty suit and he really needs to get out into the real world and try to hold down a 40 hour work week. I do not care what sort of work his parents did. Unless hes actually worked himself, his narrative on that is empty rhetoric – kinda like the rest of the stuff that comes out of his mouth. My issue with him goes back when he owned that property with his good friend Rivera. Then I look at his taxes just before hes elected to the senate and he has 100 grand owing for his university education, plus kids pre paid college accounts,etc. And then after his election…poof! all that stuff disappears. Um…then awhile later, he says his book sales helped financially. I wonder how many of his books the RNC bought to pay off that college loan? OOPS! Better than having people say he used his donations for personal expenses, right? Oh wait, he did that too! Never vote for someone you already know is shady. It’ll only get worse. Thieves and opportunists just get bolder if you encourage them.
Rubio is exactly telling you what you want to hear. And then he goes to the Panhandle and tells them what they want to hear. And then tried to go national but that’s where his empty suit niño lindo strategy crashed –a minnow among sharks– because you have to fight with more than pretty words.
If you want to be taken for another ride where he coasts for four more years and makes another failed attempt at the presidency go right ahead. He’ll win this race, so it doesn’t matter.
But when you put him next to Bill Nelson, Bob Graham, Mel Martinez, Connie Mack, Lawton Chiles, etc… how’s is he even on that list?
I voted for RUBIO, GIMENEZ and MARTINEZ
Actually, Ileana has sadly little pull in DC these days and she’s nothing like a progressive even though she could be if she changed parties and changed that A rating from the NRA to something else. It’s a new district too and 1/3rd of them have no clue who IRL is….
Scott is a lot more capable of pulling out a victory than you think.
I voted early. In the future Ladra, I would also like to see early recommendations on your great site. For those of us who early vote (ESPECIALLY on the questions – which are convoluted many times). I needed help on this solar power one.
I sure could use some clarification and/or guidance on the questions at early voting time. It might help some of us that want to know the answers to the “yes is usually no” and “no is usually yes” questions.
GO VOTE!
You are right. There will be few people voting today. It is duly noted and I will do better in the future.
Love, Ladra
I’m sorry, but you are dead wrong about Rubio. He puts the empty in empty suit. And his despicable climbing of the pile of dead victims of the Pulse massacre in an attempt to revive his own near-lifeless political career should disqualify him not only for office, but personhood.
Oh, come on. You already hated him. So nothing he did in response would have worked for you. He was hardly the only politician who seized the opportunity. And you and others would have criticized him if he HADN’T said anything, also. There is no winning here. So let’s just be glad that he is doing the right thing and paying attention and respect — regardless of the reason. Who knows? Maybe he will learn something. I still have hope.
Love, Ladra