Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins has drawn her first challenger this week to her re-election next year: Miguel Soliman, a general contractor who ran for Miami City Commission in 2017.
Soliman filed documents Monday indicating he opened a campaign account to run for county commissioner in District 5.
You may not have noticed Soliman in the Miami race. That’s because he ran in District 3 against Crazy Joe Carollo — who eventually won — Zoraida Barreiro,
wife of former county commissioner Bruno Barreiro, and Alfie Leon, who made the runoff and challenged Carollo’s residency. Those three sucked all the air out of the room.
Voters didn’t notice him much either. Soliman only got 357 votes, less than 6%, after spending more than $88,000 — a loan to himself of $30K and the rest raised from mostly from development and construction interests, including $8,000 bundled from Luis Garcia, who owns several real estate and concrete companies.
Read related: It’s Alfie Leon and ‘everybody and their mothers’ against Joe Carollo in Miami runoff
The candidate, who owns Soliman structures, told The Miami Herald in 2017 that his issues were Flagler Street reconstruction, crime and small business incentives. Soliman, 57, has served on the city of Miami’s community relations board and waterfront advisory board.
Much of Miami’s District 3 overlaps with District 5, including district covers the downtown, Brickell, The Roads, Little Havana and Flagami. But it also includes Miami Beach from South Point to mid Beach.
La gringa, as Higgins is known and likes to call herself, may draw more challenges. But she is is not an easy newbie to take down
. She won her seat in a summer special election upset last year against Zoraida Barreiro, wife of former county Commissioner Bruno Barreiro — who had resigned to run for Congress — and former State Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who apparently switched places with Soliman and is now running for Miami city commission, in District 1. Higgins forced Barreiro into a runoff and won with more than 53% of the vote.
Read related: It’s Commissioner Eileen Higgins in Miami-Dade win vs. Zoraida Barreiro
On Friday, four days after filing his paperwork, Soliman had lunch at David’s Cafe Cafecito with 
former Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower, who backed Barreiro in last year’s county race, and one-time Miami Beach Commission candidate Elsa Urquiza.
“Had a great lunch today with the two Political Power Houses of Miami Beach,” Soliman posted on Facebook.
Higgins and Commissioner Joe Martinez are the only two incumbents to be on the county ballot next year, as the other five are termed out.
She has raised more than $143,000 for her re-election and spent almost $18,000, meaning she has $125,000 in the bank.
Eileen Higgins draws 1st challenge from failed Miami city candidate added by Ladra on
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Lisa, well put.To suggest that Eileen Higgins is not engaged with her constituency is so far removed from what I have observed. I am so very impressed with her engagement and leadership skills along with that of the District 8 commissioner.
They lead with passion for our communities unselfishly. They have shown me that they truly care. She seems to love it here and has taken the bull by the horns. I have never been impressed so much by a commissioner as I have been by these two women commissioners.
Rick, be VERY CAREFUL who you support! The grass isn’t greener on the other side!
Soliman was a contractor and supporter of the Marlins project. If you think he isn’t going to support the beach rail, when he specializes in concrete shell, then think again! He’ll support any and all projects he has an opportunity to profit from, claiming to help the community with new jobs, without considering the consequences of a misguided project. I will properly express my EXPERIENCED OPINION VOCALLY IN A PUBLIC FORUM also, not just online, moving forward!
I HAVE KNOWN BOTH CANDIDATES for a LONG TIME, as my friends and neighbors in the past, and I AM APPALLED Soliman would even allow this type of RACIST PROPAGANDA! It clearly says a lot to me about the type of commitment he has to his Christian faith.
Some Members of the League of Women Voters are also very well aware of criminal behavior Soliman has accepted in the past! People shouldn’t throw stones at a glass house, as the saying goes.
I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED the way I have seen Soliman’s “leadership” since he ran for City Commissioner. Rick+, I voted for Soliman in the first round of the City election, and I’m embarrassed to say so now. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE with ANY racists on our County Board, nor people who refer to “OUR COMMUNITY” as “MY COMMUNITY” when they speak! How dare anyone put down Ms. Higgins for being a successful business woman, and a mindful leader both on our streets and at County Hall since she assumed the position. She is the BEST Commissioner our District has had as far back as I can recall! Born and raised in the area as well as raising two adult children, in addition to DECADES of experience in BOTH Real Estate and Community development!
Since when is being a “GRINGA” in OUR COUNTRY a threat to our neighborhoods? For those who don’t know the origin of the term, it means “GREEN GO home!”
We are fortunate to have a MORAL AND ETHICAL LEADER who has LISTENED, LEAD and ELOQUENTLY represented #OURcounty
Miss. Higgins don’t Return Phone calls and Don’t bring anything to the table ,her staff isn’t giving meetings and looks like she only see people W/ Donations not her District Tax payers 33125 ? I will vote for Any one but the” Gringa “.
La Gringa is just what Dist 5 needs. Not another so called “businessman” whose only looking to fleece us the tax payers. To please his business buddies
This guy sounds like a carpetbagger. Looking to make a buck on our dime. Be it on a city or county commission.
Enough with these “businessmen”
They’re just con men. Looking to get rich on the public dole
Al igual que Eileen Higgins, yo tampoco crecí en Miami. Que la acusen de “carpetbagging” es absurdo bordando a la envidia. El hecho de postularse como comisionada está demostrando con hechos de que su propósito es quedarse. Tampoco parece que se esté beneficiando de su posición como se ha visto en algunos comisionados y alcaldes que ha tenido esta ciudad en el pasado. Soy hispano, pero no soy cubano y no me crie aquí, así que quien fuera que haya hecho ese comentario de que “no nos entiende” probablemente pudiera hacer los mismos comentarios ofensivos sobre mí. La carrera política de Eileen Higgins solo está comenzando mientras hispanos como yo apoyen sus deseos de progreso y bienestar para la comunidad. Estos tipos de comentarios realmente me motivan a apoyar activamente su campaña.
Keep in mind. If it’s only one Hispanic candidate versus La Gringa next August where no contested Democratic primary is happening to support GOTV efforts in the area then she might be in trouble due to demographic challenges. She only won because the Hispanic vote split 3 ways and she squeaked into the run-of-the-mill, then ADLP sandbagged Barreiro with $100K? of negative attack mail calling her a prostitute and comparing her to a queen asking for noblese oblige. What did happen? A very contested CD27 Democratic primary field pushed La Gringa through. A perfect storm of events that will never happen again. (FYI – Jean Monestime unseating Dorrin Role similarly had an incumbent with unfavorable demographics).
IMHO, La Gringa is worse than the “same names” since she’s not from here, is independently wealthy and can leave whenever she feels like it. She doesn’t have to live with the consequences of her decisions from the dais. That’s always the problem of a carpetbagger. At least you tell the same names off at church or at school when you pick up the kids or through mutual friends cause we all went to the same highschool. La Gringa is not a part of this community like that.
But we do have a same names problem. Maybe Soliman can change things up as not a same name.