They may have a new mayor already, but Coral Gables voters aren’t done picking the two commissioners who will serve alongside Vince Lago. Both commission races will have runoffs, as expected, on April 27.
The Group 2 race looks more lopsided and Jose Valdes-Fauli, brother of the current mayor, Raul Valdes-Fauli has a lot of work to do. Rhonda Anderson heads into the runoff with the momentum — and a 16-point lead over Valdes-Fauli, mostly fueled by her staunch anti-development stance.
In Group 2, Rhonda Anderson pulled 42% of the vote and Jose Valdes-Fauli pulled 26%. Anderson got 1,636 votes more than he did and that’s a pretty big gap to close in two weeks. Even if they split the rest of the votes down the middle — and Anderson will get all the anti-Valdes-Fauli votes — she will still be on top. And she should win. Otherwise the dais will be all male.
Tania Cruz-Gimenez came in third with 13% and the rest just trailed. It was a surprisingly low showing for the daughter-in-law of Congressman Carlos Gimenez, who was the county mayor just the other day and, as county commissioner, represented most of Coral Gables.
Ladra thinks it’s because Cruz-Gimenez didn’t go negative on Valdes-Fauli, and she could have. He certainly had a whisper campaign against her — as well as the mailer on her accrued years’ worth of garbage fees.
Claudia Miro and Mayra Joli got around 8% each and Alexander Luis Haq got 174 votes, which is mostly family, friends and neighbors.
In Group 3, Javier Baños and Kirk Menendez came in almost head to head, with 32% and 31% respectively. That’s a difference of only 120 votes. Not a good showing for Baños, who has been campaigning the longest, for more than a year.
Alex Bucelo trailed with 24% of the vote and P.J. Mitchell got 13%.
Ladra is pretty certain that the Mitchell votes and at least half the Bucelo votes will go to Menendez.
Two Coral Gables commission races head into runoffs in two weeks added by Ladra on
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Everyone needs the bathroom; It’s essential. Just like with Javier Baños. And he’ll wipe himself with anyone that tries to control him.
That’s not a bad thing when most in the city think we’re going the wrong way with overdevelopment and traffic for starters. Baños will also address our pension liability. He knows Joe Carrolo, who cares? Every politician knows someone unfavorable. Look who was out for Lagos and he won 60%!
His opponent lobbied for the up zoning of his own neighborhood to sell out to developers! I also read in the herald he said he’s not selling to developers. I guess he’ll be like that old man and his mom in the agave project living between two parking lots???? So either he’s playing us all or he’s a fool.
Don’t elect the bathroom, Coral Gables.
” There are more people happy that one candidate lost than supporters happy their candidate won”
True but IMO local politics is the “lesser of the evils ” just who you feel might do the least amount of damage .
The letter ‘ R ‘ and ‘ D ‘ here does not mean a thing , people simply want the least self serving , least up for sale , least pocket lining politico and in Miami that seems to be the best you can look for .
Btw my other post was bit caustic and apologize as that was not my intention but no fan of Gimenez and for countless reasons but no he never hurt my feelings nor anyone I know , lol just disagree with a lot of things that went on under him.
I agree though countless ethics complaints against Gimenez from right and left , he is an Angel and his daughter in law who is married to his son will also be an Angel.
” Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s lobbyist sons have a right to make a living as they see fit. But they shouldn’t be able to get away with constantly making a buck off representing clients with county business before their father.
It’s a blatant conflict of interest — and nepotism in plain sight.
The Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust is chock-full of inquiries and complaints about Gimenez and his sons dating back to when he was first elected mayor in 2011. But nothing ever comes of them.
The sons, one a registered lobbyist with the county, keep popping up as employees of contractors or representatives of entities seeking to do business with county government.
Why can’t the mayor’s sons wait at least until daddy is out of office to compete for their piece of the county till? Is the world not large enough for them to find clients and business elsewhere?
County government isn’t a mom-and-pop store where everyone gets a cut of the family business. But it sure seems that way with the Gimenez brothers, who are lobbyists for the soccer stadium and related projects, a small steel mill proposal in Homestead, and a rehabilitation complex — all begging to be built on government-owned properties.
In the latest episode of the profiting-from-the-county saga, son Julio Gimenez, a construction executive formerly employed by big county contractor Munilla Construction Management, is part of a team trying to secure county land to build a rehabilitation facility for young criminal offenders through the non-profit Neighbors and Neighbors Association.”
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” Tania had no record, not an objectionable platform, and someone they never met or even knew first hand”
Just because someone has never met a person does not mean they can not judge them , think they have a self serving political ulterior motive .
Not having a record an objectionable platform means she has ethics , morals ?
There are more people happy that one candidate lost than supporters happy their candidate won. , especially odd that Tania had no record, not an objectionable platform, and someone they never met or even knew first hand
And a whole other class that based their vote solely on rumor and innuendo of the father. for those of us that actually know or worked for Carlos, the whole mystery Gimenez crime cartel was and is always amusing. Yes, Carlos can be tough to work for and does not suffer fools so if he brushed you off and bruised your ego it doesn’t mean he’s some crime boss, it means he didn’t have time for your dumb idea.
I hope she doesn’t quit. it’s hard to get smart qualified people to run this gauntlet.
Next time she should do like Daniella Levine Cava did when she ran. , slightly alter your last name. But in this case she should drop Gimenez .
Speaking of the 1st woman Mayor, Ladra, you better start running some stuff about Diaz & his little power grabbing mob before he’s stripped Daniella naked and she’s standing on the street.
Now you will meet the real Vince Lago and his court of misfit toys. God help us.
Anti-developer needed,
Agree and yet sadly he was rewarded by being elected to Congress . Often bad behavior is rewarded here .
From red light cameras ( politicians , family and any plate they put in the system is immune from that ticket ) to being completely self serving but he ran for Congress and won.
Found it obscene that people actually considered him a Republican . You can put that letter ‘ R’ in front of Raul Castro here and plenty fall for it.
It’s a great day for all Gables residents now that Keon lost. The sooner she is shown the exit door the better. We can get back to focusing on continuing to making our city better and have accountability-less hiding of the budget.
Rhonda Anderson will be a well-balanced, intelligent, rational advocate for Coral Gables residents. She supports managed development to maintain our quality of life. Apparently over 40% of us voters agree. Good luck Rhonda!
Another Rhonda Anderson Supporter
Hi Marcelo,
Rather than accept the word “staunch” to describe Rhonda Anderson – which is Ladra’s opinion, find out first hand by phoning this candidate to have a discussion about her views. 786-529-8766
Thank you for being involved in our community.
~from a Rhonda Supporter
Coral Gables voters obviously did not want another Carlos Gimenez, or his family. That dude is such a dictator. No to Tania and the Gimenez family. Hopefully Anderson wins.
I don’t know how many of your readers actually live in the Gables, but, as it pertains development, I would rather have a well-balanced, intelligent, rational commissioner like Jose Valdez-Fauli than a “staunch” anti-development one like Anderson. The problem with “staunch” positions on either side is that they respond in a knee-jerk fashion without analyzing each situation. I’ve lived in the Gables many times, the last time since 2006 when we built our house. I am 100% pro intelligent development –development is inescapable, we either channel it properly or it will overtake us.
Glad to see that Gables citizens were smart and rebuffed Gimenez’s daughter-in-law. Wish County voters and voters in Gimenez’s Congressional district would have been that smart and would have voted against the most corrupt political figure to ever crawl from under a rock.
Valdes fauli should win with all the rest of the hispanics votes he could get now , and in the next group Kirk will pull it off.
Glad to know every prediction you made was wrong.