The candidates are not the only ones who won and/or lost in Tuesday’s elections for county, school board, judicial and state offices. There are other victors and losers, also. People who will ride the winners’ coattails or who depended on the losers.
Without further ado, here are Ladra’s winners and losers from the Miami-Dade elections:
WINNERS
Christian Ulvert — This political consultant is not only celebrating the comfortable victory by his candidate and Miami-
Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez-Rundle, who got 60% of the vote against Melba Pearson, but he also has at least three clients in runoffs, including a second place finish for mayoral candidate Daniella Levine Cava, who is poised to make history in November. Ka-ching. Let him pick up the tab.
David Custin — This political consultant, best known for his negative mail pieces and opposition research, also stands to make a lot of money working on Commissioner Esteban Bovo‘s campaign through a political action committee and money paid by former House Speaker Jose Oliva.
Read related: Esteban Bovo leads mayoral race, goes to runoff vs Daniella Levine Cava
Eric Zichella — As a county lobbyist who commissioned the only poll that predicted Bovo would get the most votes — and that Levine Cava would come in second place — this kind of puts Zichella on another level and he’s going to be unbearable for the next three months. More than usual.
Marco Rubio — The popular Cuban-American senator endorsed both Bovo, who came out on top in the mayoral race, and State Rep. Daniel Perez, who easily defeated a candidate funded by Oliva. He’s 2 for 2.
Dade County PBA — The police union backed Bovo and will get a lot of press mileage out of his “police lives matter” campaign message.
LOSERS
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez — Papi’s loss could drag Baby X down just as he has to start fundraising 
for his own up-for-grabs re-election next year. This will hurt Xavier Suarez more than his own loss Tuesday, but he just had to make junior a centerpiece in his campaign, ignoring advice from Ladra and others. It’s also going to be difficult for X to raise money for his son now that donors are a little pissed off that he didn’t really run a campaign.
Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez — The most abusive mayor in Miami-Dade went out on a limb to endorse a Democrat in a Republican stronghold when he backed former Mayor Alex Penelas over Esteban Bovo. Hernandez should have stayed in his lane.
Read related: Todo Hialeah, except Carlos Hernandez, hosts mayoral event for Esteban Bovo
Mike Fernandez — What a waste of $300,000, which is what the healthcare mogul invested in the Penelas campaign through the Bold Vision political action committee. Ladra bets Fernandez has got buyer’s remorse.
P.A.G.E. 2020 — The political action committee founded and funded by Rita Schwartz, who was also co-founder of the Pets’ Trust initiative. It has lost any credibility after putting all their eggs in one crazy basket for activist and Pets’ Trust other co-founder Michael Rosenberg in the District 7 commission race. Not only did they do everything illegally — yard signs on public right of way, truck signs too close to the precinct — they may be hard pressed to re taise funds or be taken seriously in the future.
There may be other winners and losers from this primary August election. Ladra’s head is still spinning. So feel free to add your own suggestions for winners and losers in the comments below.
Winners and losers from Miami-Dade elections are not just the candidates added by Ladra on
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