Alex DLP bolts out of Miami gate with a campaign cash advantage

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Don’t think that former Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla is not a true threat in the Miami District 1 race this year. While some think this three-time loser is unelectable, it’s best not to underestimate The Dean.

Especially when he is raising more campaign money than anybody else.

Read related: After loss in Senate, Miami-Dade races, Alex DLP may try Miami

Diaz de la Portilla tapped into his list of lobbyist buddies so they could bundle for him and he could come out with $40,400 in the first month. That’s just a couple K over the next highest amount, $38,000 by neighborhood fave Horacio Aguirre, who has been raising money since October.

Sure, it shows that Mike Gabela has raised $112,000 but he loaned himself $100K of that so he’s only raised $12K in a whole year. That’s worst than Yanny Hidalgo‘s $10,337, raised since October.

Eleazar Melendez, who also announced in January, raised $17,723, which wouldn’t be bad for someone without a rolodex full of lobbyists who owe him. Except he loaned himself $12K of that.

Read related: Neighbor vs neighbor in Miami District 1 as Eleazar Melendez files

Which means that a week before the second campaign report is due, just looking at January’s reports, Diaz de la Portilla is winning the money race thanks to his lobby pals.

He got at least $9,000 from former State Rep. and lobsterman Manny Prieguez, Jr., and his business and family interests as well as at least $5,000 each from Ron Book and his companies and Miami Beach parking czar Rafael Andrade and his companies. Add $1,000 each from Hugo Arza, Juan Mayol and Felix LaSarte and more than half the cash is lobby money.

There’s another $4,000 from Anibal Duarte-Viera, an attorney who is also a real estate developer and deal maker — and possibly a slumlord. Google him.

Read related: Bank foreclosed on ADLP, who ‘moves’ to run for Willy Gort seat in Miami

We don’t have long to wait to see if DLP — whose house is being foreclosed on and who “moved” in September into the district that is being vacated by termed-out Commissioner Willy Gort — was able to keep the pace in February, because those campaign reports are due next week. Ladra, for one, can’t wait to see who he taps into next.

Aguirre has some bundling of his own, with at least $10,000 from Terry Zerby and his family and partners in the marine terminal business and address in Oklahoma City and North River Drive. There’s another $8,000 coming from Sara Babun and her related companies and $6,000 from Emmanuel Pacin, a real estate and marine guy. All $24,000 of it is Miami River money.

Much of District 1 is along the Miami River, a newly booming area of development in the city.

Aguirre’s best month might be March, with his official campaign kick-off fundraiser Thursday hosted by former Mayor Tomas Regalado, Rev. Guillermo Revuelta and ten others at the new Miami Police Benevolent Association Hall.

There are two other candidates, Michael Hepburn, who just lost in the Democrat congressional primary, and Francisco Pichel, but neither have raised any money yet.

  Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Horacio Aguirre, Miami elections, Tomas Regalado