Now, she lists her home as a $2.8 million house in District 12’s Doral
Former Sweetwater Councilwoman Sophia Lacayo — who was booted from office and charged with perjury for living outside the city — is running for office again. This time, it’s a seat on the Miami-Dade Commission she wants.
She just has to prove that she lives in District 12, where Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz is termed out and Doral Mayor J.C. Bermudez is the obvious frontrunner.
Lacayo was first elected in May of 2019. It was a surprise. The dark horse candidate beat Manuel Duasso and Isolina Maroño — two entrenched former council members — with 51% of the vote. Maroño tipped authorities off to Lacayo’s real address, which was not in Sweetwater as she had sworn, and she was charged with perjury in August of 2020. Lacayo was sentenced to one year probation and forced to resign as part of her plea deal.
She was also forbidden from running for office during that time.
Read related: Sweetwater’s Sophia Lacayo charged with perjury for living outside city
Her campaign account papers, filed last month, list an address at 10560 NW 68th Street in Doral, which, voilà, is in the district. The 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom house was purchased for $2.85 million in September 2021 by Lacayo Real Estate Group, according to Miami-Dade property records. The company was formed on the same exact date the sale was recorded, according to Florida Division of Corporation Records.
Lacayo Real Estate Group also made a sizeable investment last month in the Residences at Dolphin CitiCenter near Dolphin Mall, purchasing four 670-square-foot condo units for $2.66 million.
The CEO and president of an accounting firm, Lacayo — who portrays herself as a tax accountant — is listed as principal in at least seven companies and the non profit Mujer Empoderate, which translates to Empower Yourself Woman. She has a radio show — Empoderate con Sophia Lacayo — from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday on Actualidad 1040 AM. She is close to radio personality Nelson Rubio, who, las malas lenguas say, helped her in her Sweetwater bid.
Anyone can tell that Lacayo is not going to wage a typical campaign, even for Sweetwater standards. Her catfish photo on campaign signs and literature seem like they were taken with a Tik Tok glow filter. Lacayo went on stage at Carnaval Calle Ocho recently and whipped up the crowd, calling out all the nationalities to get some applause. She has posted several videos on her YouTube channel, including several with members of the Doral Colombian community.
There’s no real dialogue in most of them, only lively music over the footage of air kisses and muted conversation.
Her website has a page dedicated to “personalities” with photos of Lacayo with senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and other electeds from Washington to Tallahassee to Sweetwater.
Lacayo didn’t spend all her money on property. She loaned herself $169,000 and has maximum $1,000 donations from nine companies related to her or family members, according to her first campaign finance report. The other $10K is probably related to her in some way or another.
Bermudez, who has a high school named after him, has raised more than $213,000, with the help of former G-Man rainmaker Brian Goldmeier. There are lots of bundles from serial campaign contributor developers like Sergio Pino, Armando Codina and Rodney Barretto.
Bermudez raised another $350K or so in his political action committee, Committee for Responsibility in Government.
But that’s expected of a de facto incumbent or heir apparent like Bermudez, who told Ladra he’s not going to take any challenge for granted.
Read related: Miami-Dade 2022: State reps, mayors, city electeds get in line for county seats
“I run on my record and she can run on hers,” Bermudez said.
District 12 covers a lot of unincorporated western Miami-Dade and several cities in addition to Doral and Sweetwater. It covers parts of Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Virginia Gardens and Medley. Bermudez boasts the support of all the municipal mayors.
Diaz — widely rumored to be planning a return to the mayoral seat in Sweetwater, where his political career began — hasn’t endorsed him. The two have been at odds since the county commission chairman helped Sweetwater annex an area that Doral wanted also.
Meanwhile, Doral will have a special election in November for the mayor’s seat vacated by Bermudez. In the running so far, Doral Council Members Claudia Mariaca and Pete Cabrera as well as former councilwoman and now Miami-Dade School Board Member Christi Fraga.
Booted off Sweetwater Council, Sophia Lacayo aims for county commission added by Ladra on
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