The South Florida Council of Firefighters has endorsed State Rep. Cindy Polo as she seeks her second term in House District 103 against a challenge by none other than — drumroll please — a firefighter.
Miami Lakes Councilman Nelson Rodriguez is a firefighter paramedic in Coral Gables — and a Republican running against the Democrat freshman, a mother who won in 2018 on a platform that included gun reform after the killing of 17 people at a high school in Parkland that year.
The firefighters union said that Polo was instrumental in the 2019 session’s passage of Senate Bill 426, which provided firefighters 
with expanded health coverage for cancers that can be caused on the job.
“The passage of SB 426 represented a historic legislative victory for our members, and that victory came in no small part due to Rep. Polo’s early support of our bill,” reads a statement from the Council.
“Beyond her early support, she drew attention to a bill that was dead and gave it new life. Rep. Polo’s support for our members has never wavered. It is for the reasons outlined here, as well as others, that we wish to endorse her and offer our support in her reelection bid.”
Read related: Caught playing politics, Jose Oliva pivots on firefighter cancer bill
In a statement of her own, Polo expressed gratitude for the endorsement and for the firefighters’ public service, as well.
“These are men and women who selflessly commit themselves to keeping us safe; and I could not be more grateful for their support in my reelection campaign,” Polo said. “You can be assured that as long as I am your state representative I will always fight for our community — and that I will remain focused on doing what is right rather than what is politically expedient.”
Rodriguez told Ladra that he never got a chance to talk to them before they endorsed.
“It is very disappointing that the Florida Council of Firefighters has endorsed Cindy Polo without providing a proper political screening,” he told Ladra. “Traditionally the Council would screen all candidates prior to an endorsement. Some of my brothers and sisters in the Council leadership have decided to choose partisan politics over my record of service and experience as a firefighter.”
But none of that is true. Of the four state rep candidates the Council chose to endorse early, Polo is the only Democrat. They also endorsed incumbent Reps. Vance Aloupis (House District 115), Juan Fernandez-Barquin (District 119) and Anthony Rodriguez (118). So, not partisan.
“Miami Lakes Councilman Nelson Rodriguez attended our December South Florida Council of Firefighters meeting to discuss his bid to represent District 103 in the Florida State House,” said President John O’Brien. “Nelson is a brother of the fire service. I respect him; we both walk the same path in the same fire boots. And while our robust political action program includes a strong focus on supporting firefighters who run for office, such support can be neither unconditional nor at the expense of an incumbent who has earned our support and endorsement.
“Representative Polo has earned our support and has our endorsement.”
Rodriguez also tried to take some credit for “behind the scenes” work on the cancer bill. “The fact is that without support of many local Repulican legislators that I stressed the importance of Cancer Presumption, the Firefighter Cancer Bill would not have become reality,” he said.
Is he kidding? Does he know who he’s talking to? Ladra was involved in that up to her elbows and she never heard or saw him anywhere. Nobody remembers him posting anything about it on social media. And why would he? When he is part of the Republican flying monkeys crew (and you know who you are).
Read related: State Rep. Cindy Polo is challenged by Miami Lakes’ Nelson Rodriguez
Rodriguez was handpicked by State Rep. Jose “Cigar Czar” Oliva, who 
tried running another former Miami Lakes Councilman, Frank Mingo, against her in 2018. And remember, Oliva, who was Speaker of the House, held back the House version of the bill to punish firefighters after one of theirs, Gables Firefighter David Perez, ran against his boy, Manny Diaz, Jr., two years ago for the Senate seat vacated by Rene Garcia.
Polo won’t be easy to beat in the general because District 103 includes not just Miami Lakes and Doral, but Miramar, as well. She lost Miami-Dade in 2018 and still won the race because of the Broward vote. Rodriguez is unknown in Miramar. And he has to win a primary against Broward attorney Tom Fabricio.
But Polo is not raising incumbent money, with only $41,500 raised in her campaign account as of the end of January — and at least $16,400 spent already. Of course, those efforts have been hampered for almost 60 days because she can’t raise funds while in session. That will be over next week.
And while Rodriguez has spent almost $9,000 of his $27K nut — which includes a maximum $1,000 check from the Coral Gables Firefighters union — remember that he has Oliva and his gang behind him, which means he will have soft money and PACs and David Custin working on his behalf.
State Rep. Cindy Polo gets firefighters endorsement — against a firefighter added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
