Baby Brother is back at it.
Renier Diaz de la Portilla, the youngest in the family’s political dynasty, is running for Miami-Dade County judge — again. RDLP filed paperwork Monday with the Miami-Dade Elections Department showing he opened a campaign account and designated himself as treasurer.
He is currently challenging Fred Seraphin, the first Haitian-American judge in Miami-Dade, who was first appointed by then Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001 and then was elected twice, in 2004 and 2010, without opposition. In 2016, he beat Milena Abreu.
Diaz de la Portilla ran for judge in 2014, and lost against Veronica Diaz, a former assistant city of Miami attorney. He also lost his bid for county commission against Eileen Higgins in 2020. And he also lost his last bid for state House against Manny Diaz, Jr., who is now a state senator.
He’s three for three. But desperate to be back in office.
Read related: Eileen Higgins keeps Miami-Dade Commission seat vs Renier Diaz DLP
Although he could still jump to another group before Friday’s qualification deadline, Diaz de la Portilla probably chose Seraphin because the incumbent looks like easy pickings. Seraphin ran three times unsuccessfully before he was appointed and had two non races before facing Abreu, a relatively unknown with less than $20,000 next to Seraphin’s $135K — who still got within 700 votes.
Plus a Hispanic name next to a Haitian name in a countywide race is always a good bet.
Except maybe for this Hispanic name. Renier, a former school board member and one-term state rep, is the Fredo of the DLP clan, not by age, because he is the youngest, but by weakness and failure. He is hapless son, the sad one, the ineffectual one that everyone has to take care of.
He bounces from job to job — sometimes does political consulting, which he can’t do as a judicial candidate — and allegedly lives with his wife and young son in the same Miami River apartment as his brother, Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, which everybody knows is a lie. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla has ghost employees and can’t account for all the COVID relief gift cards he allegedly gave out to residents in his district. The other brother is former Senator and professional lobbyist Miguel Diaz de la Portilla.
Read related: Renier Diaz de la Portilla shows up late, belligerent at Brickell virtual forum
Seraphin started his career as a public defender and dabbled in private practice for a while before going back to the public defender’s office. A founding member and past chair of the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, Seraphin was also an adjunct professor at Barry University and a faculty member at the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies. He also served on The Florida Supreme Court’s standing committee on Fairness and Diversity and is an active member of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence.
Renier Diaz de la Portilla showed up seemingly drunk to a virtual candidates’ forum in 2020. It was painful (read: fun) to watch.
This campaign could be, too.
Renier Diaz de la Portilla wants to run for Miami-Dade County judge — again added by Ladra on
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