Miami-Dade has a few things that are common in many dark and dirty political campaigns: Dark money (read: untraceable) is one of them. Attack mailers are another. And the quita-y-pon committees that remove an opponent’s yard signs and replace them with their own.
Well, it looks like Alex Rizo — the Republican running to replace State Rep. and House Speaker Jose Oliva in District 110 — has a quita-y-pon committee on steroids.
Supporters of Democrat candidate Annette Collazo, who many believe can turn that seat blue, have sent Ladra multiple before-and-after pictures in recent days that show her signs are either damaged or missing from spots where suddenly, lo and behold, there is a Rizo sign.
Two signs went missing from Loch Lommond in Miami Lakes earlier this week. Another sign was torn in half and thrown on the ground. Another was left intact — but upside down after someone cut the top two zip ties holding it onto a fence, letting it hang upside down under a new Rizo sign in its place.
Like, how obvious.
Read related: Could Dems take House seat 110? Annette Collazo is working on it
Okay, Ladra knows what you’re thinking: Dog bites man. Not a story. But it’s so pervasive and obvious that it has to be called out. People who don’t usually notice these things have noticed this thing.
“I don’t know who is responsible for stealing, damaging and tampering with our signs,” Collazo told Ladra. “Perhaps ardent supporters or volunteers, or staff of my opponent. Who knows?
“But I do know that our campaigns are a reflection of our values and how one intends to lead once in office,” Collazo added. “I have told everyone on my campaign that that kind of behavior is unacceptable and would not be tolerated.
“And I hope my opponent has done the same.”
Well, he either hasn’t or it didn’t stick. Some might think that Rizo is showing his desperation. Collazo has more money and more momentum in a district that is increasingly purple. So he has to resort to quita y pon.
Collazo has raised a super respectable $175,739, including a whopping $75K in the two weeks ending Oct. 2, according to the latest campaign finance reports, her best period ever. She still has all of $131,000 in hand, which is unheard of less than two weeks before Election Day, which is about how much Rizo has raised in total (minus his $25K loan to himself). He only had $35K left as of Oct. 2.
“We are just days away from elections, and there is so much at stake,” Collazo said in a statement. “I will continue to work hard for the opportunity to become our community’s voice in Tallahassee.”
Annette Collazo signs vanish, trashed in heated House 110 race vs Alex Rizo added by Ladra on
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