There won’t be a mayoral race but the three commission races in Miami Beach this November drew four candidates each for a total of 12 names on the ballot.
You just know there’s going to be at least two runoffs.
The only other incumbent is Group 5 Commissioner Ricky Arriola, who has 
drawn three solid candidates against him: PTA mom, soldier and small business owner Raquel Pacheco, healthcare nonprofit marketing guru Johnathan Welsh and luxury real estate investor Stephen Cohen, who announced last month.
Read related: Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber wins re-election — sans challenge
None of them have raised any real money, however, but Cohen is expected to self fund his campaign and Arriola, who owns a call service company, has not been raising like an incumbent, with only about $59,000 in checks. He has had to loan himself another $100K to look strong. But like him, it’s all fake.
Arriola is so vulnerable, in fact, the runoff might be without him. Fingers crossed.
In Group 4, former Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez –
– who was forced to resign when she ran (and lost) for Congress last year — is raising money more like an incumbent than Arriola. Rosen Gonzalez is running for her old seat, which Joy Malakoff was appointed to but is not running for.
Rosen Gonzalez has collected about $113,000 in contributions, according to the latest campaign reports filed with the city through the end of July.
The Miami Dade College professor’s biggest challenge comes from her biggest nemesis — Rafael Velasquez, a real estate broker who she accused of 
exposing himself to her in a car after a campaign dinner in 2017. While he has said the single mom and one-time yoga instructor made it up for publicity during the #metoo movement — like this is what a politically ambitious woman wants on the top of her first google page — two other women have come forward to say that they, too, felt harassed when he groped and spoke to them inappropriately. The guy is creepy.
Read related: Ricky Arriola draws 3rd challenge in Miami Beach commission race
Velasquez is now harassing Rosen Gonzalez in court — with a frivolous lawsuit, seeing as how others have confirmed his behavior — and on the campaign trail, where he has stalked her with his cellphone camera.
He should dedicate more time to fundraising. Because it looks like he’s only raised $13K or so, loaning himself another $135,000. He must really want this. Beware!
There are two other candidates running in that seat — real estate broker 
Michael Barrineau, a member of the city’s planning and zoning board who has raised more than $51,000 since February, and attorney Steven Meiner, who has raised $18,500 since December.
They’d be such viable candidates if all the air wasn’t being sucked out of the room by the sexual harassment drama.
Or… might voters be turned off by the whole he said/she said thing and vote for one of these guys? Ladra bets that is what they are counting on.
Read related: Miami Beach City Commission considers 4-year mayoral term
The Group 6 is also an open race since Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman, a Philip Levine lackey, decided not to seek re-election. But some could argue that former State Rep. David Richardson, the only one of 12 candidates to qualify by petition instead of paying the fee, is the de facto incumbent.
Richardson, who also lost in the District 27 Congressional primary, has raised more than $95,000, as of the end of July. He also loaned his campaign $25K. And Ladra is certain he has a political action committee with money.
But that race also has what could be a dark horse: Adrian Gonzalez, the 
well-known owner of David’s Café on South Beach, has raised $41,000 and could mount a grass roots challenge to Richardson’s name rec. Also in the mix: Mohammed Rafiqul Islam, a property manager who has loaned himself $2,500 (and whose photo Ladra could not find), and small businessman Blake Young, who is self funding and has spent about $1,060 as of July.
Now that qualifying is done and we know who the candidates are, voters can get ready for a number of debates before the Nov. 5 election.
Candidates qualify for 3 four-way commission races in Miami Beach added by Ladra on
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ARRIOLA ES COMPLICE DE LOS KASTROS QUERIA PONER UN CONSULADO COMUNISTA DE LOS KASTROS AQUI EN MIAMI BEACH
There is really fear to have an honest representative of our residents. Rosen Gonzales represents our interest as residents not the developers .
Ladra, as long as you are in the mood to disclose things, Why don’t you start with that you were on Rosen Gonzalez’s payroll during her Congressional campaign and are obviously biased in your reporting and support? As for the claims that these are political smears, tell that to the FEC and the Herald, which is where the information comes from. Or better yet, ask Rosen Gonzalez why she set up an illegal meeting with her campaign contributor with the city, lied to the Herald reporter, and tried to intervene with the police for another campaign contributor. As for not being a professional politician, that seems like an unjustified pass, as she has been an elected official AND ran a campaign for Congress. She has been ethically challenged all along the way, and divisive and vindictive as well.
Which candidate will finally fight for the normal person’s property rights that the Commission has proudly and bragged about stripping away? 6 months and 1 day or less ban on rentals in a town sustained by tourism, what a f’ing joke!
“Normal” people don’t buy housing in residential areas to rent out.
Wow Focus on the issues folks.
Steven “Meiner” who else?? Why not focus on the issues? Oh, because no one know knows you and you have no idea what the issues are!
IS SAD ! To see politicians Rated by their Donations Collections and Not Their Performance ? WHO do they pay back all their donations ? Whit Favoritism , Yes votes and Grants like in Miami Dade County ? Are You Ready to Look The Other way as They Do ?WE Are Been Discriminated ?
Why don’t you mention Kristen Rosen Gonzalez being investigated by the Federal Elections Committee for campaign finance violations and being caught repeatedly lying to the Miami Herald about lobbying? And setting up secret meetings with the city for her campaign contributors to get business with the city? https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article229297949.html
Dear Steve, your IP address has been noted so if you are an opposing candidate spreading lies, it will be disclosed.
This is what is called an opener and it was about all three races, just to set up the elections. There will be stories about each race and that’s where you get the details about each of the candidates. In context.
Kristen may not be polished. She is not a professional politician. She is not practiced and cautious. That’s what I like about her. But it also means she says some unfortunate things sometimes. Don’t we all? That doesn’t mean she is corrupt. She has the best interest of residents in mind. That’s what’s important.
Love, Ladra
How is anything Steve said a lie? I’m not an expert on KRG but I do believe I’ve read articles on all the items he touched.
There is no investigation, SoBe. There has been no lobbying. Those are politically-motivated smears using said news articles out of context and likely the subject of attack mailers to come, and they hardly ever tell the full story, which Ladra will. When the time comes.
Love, Ladra
If it’s not gaudy, it can’t be Miami Beach!