Former State Sen. Dan Gelber will file for the Miami Beach mayoral seat in February.
Oh, he hasn’t committed. But after a short chat with Gelber Tuesday night, Ladra is predicting that he will, indeed, file for the seat very soon. My guess is he’s just waiting for the beginning of the month so he doesn’t have to file a wimpy campaign finance report for January.
“I am thinking very seriously about it and likely will make an announcement in a week or two,” Gelber told Ladra. “I’ve never been coy about public service. I am interested in the position and need to go through my own process.”
Ladra called the senator to ask him about the nasty anonymous email attack
that went out Tuesday against Commissioner Michael Grieco, who is so far the only candidate who has announced his candidacy for mayor. Thank God he wasn’t offended, even though he said it’s not his style.
Read related story: Anonymous email attacks Michael Grieco
“I heard about it. It’s obviously nothing I had to do with,” Gelber told Ladra. “I don’t know if it even resembles the truth. I don’t work like that.”
Well, then perhaps it was someone who supports him and knows, like Ladra, that Gelber is going to put his hat in the ring. Las malas lenguas say the former senator is Levine’s handpicked successor, since Commissioner Ricky Arriola tanked in some telephone polls. After all, they have the same consultant, Christian Ulvert. And Gelber endorsed Levine in a overly flattering video in 2013.
A former prosecutor, Gelber was a state rep for Miami Beach from 2001 to 2009, when he became a state senator for two years, leaving in 2011 (succeeded by Sen. Gwen Margolis). He probably misses public office. It’s in his blood. His father, Seymore Gelber, was a judge and mayor of Miami Beach from 1991 to 1997.
In 2010, Dan Gelber ran unsuccesfully for Attorney General against Pam Bondi. But he raised more than $2.6 million and had a ton of hefty endorsements, including former state senator, former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno (who died last year,), former Florida Education Secretary Betty Castor and Congresswoman and DNC Vice Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz as well as the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the state’s largest law enforcement organization.
If Gelber runs for mayor, and Ladra is betting that he does, it is likely that he will be endorsed by some big Democrats yet again.
Ladra doesn’t know if he’ll get Bill Clinton, like Levine did in 2013, but maybe. Because they have the same consultant, Christian Ulvert. Las malas lenguas say the former senator is Levine’s handpicked successor, since Commissioner Ricky Arriola tanked in some telephone polls.
Ladra predicts Dan Gelber files for Beach mayor in February added by Ladra on
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