Endorsements come in for the four front runners in city of Miami District 2 race

As predicted here on Political Cortadito, the Miami Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed former and disgraced judge Martin Zilber in the race to replace Ken Russell in Miami’s District 2. Some police union sources say the vote was cooked, under pressure from commissioners.

Pressure cooked.

So has Commission Chairwoman Christine King. “I have no doubt that Martin Zilber will bring his expertise, sense of community and passion for public service to the city of Miami Commission,” King said in a statement on Zilber’s press release. “We need someone like Martin Zilber in our government, that is why I am endorsing him.”

Really? Ladra suspects there are other reasons.

Candidate Sabina Covo, a former journalist who now has a PR boutique agency, was endorsed, in the non-partisan race, by the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. But that might be because her campaign consultant is Christian Ulvert. Or because she also boasts the endorsement from former Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Nikki Fried. But that could be because she used to work in the state office.

Or maybe because only two Democrat candidates were screened.

Eddy Leal, who has taken a leave of absence from the city of Miami as the mayor’s counsel, was endorsed by One Grove, a coalition of community involved civic leaders and activists that organized in response to the city’s controversial (read: ridiculous and unfair) redistricting process. One Grove sponsored the candidate forum at the Women’s Club of Coconut Grove, which was attended live by 200 people and can be viewed on YouTube.

And Downtown Neighbors Alliance President James Torres, has iconic restauranteur Monty Trainer on his side and may soon announce an endorsement from former Miami Commissioner Rosario Kennedy.

These four are definitely the front runners from the 13 candidates in the special election, which ends Feb. 27. That’s in 25 days.

Zilber — who reported raising $88,000 on Thursday in his first campaign finance report (more on that later), the most of any candidate so far — has been acting most like the front runner. He hung out with Mayor Francis Suarez after the State of the City address. He was in commission chambers during the meeting last week. In the mayor’s office on another day.

“After reviewing all the candidate questionnaires and interviewing them, we have decided to endorse judge Martin Zilber,” FOP President Felix Del Rosario said in a statement. He did not return multiple calls and texts. But sources within the police union said they felt the decision was cooked and las malas lenguas say Commissioners Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla put pressure on union leadership to endorse their friend “Marty.”

Or maybe he promised to advocate for more police officers, which is easy.

“He served as a criminal court judge and this had him working with law enforcement officers,” Del Rosario said. “He understands the hard and difficult work we do. He signed off on warrants for officers and had to work with officers that showed up in his courtroom after working the midnight shift.

“He understands that the department has 1,200 officers, the same number as in 2010, but the city has grown immensely, especially in Edgewater, Downtown and Brickell, which are part of District 2,” Del Rosario continued. “The number of officers must grow to cover these areas and towers. The city must do more to recruit more applicants for this job without sacrificing our standards.

“When he ran for judge, he was endorsed by the district FOP and PBA in his countywide race. We believe he has the experience and leadership to give us a stronger voice in the city commission.”

In it’s press release, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party said it interviewed candidates on Jan. 22 and chose Covo, a Colombian-American and former TV reporter who worked as Director of Hispanic Media Relations and Communications for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“Covo’s 22-year residency in Miami’s District 2 and years covering issues at City Hall give her a unique insight into the problems plaguing the City of Miami,” the press release says. “Her priorities include public safety, access to resources, affordable housing, support for arts and entertainment, and helping to boost the city’s economic development and tourism. Bolstering Miami’s infrastructure and improving the city’s resilience
to better combat the effects of tropical storms and rising sea levels
are also at the top of her list.”

Miami-Dade Dems Chairman Robert Dempster said the vote Jan. 30 (on a Sunday?) was by an overwhelming margin.

“The City of Miami is struggling with real issues. District 2 faces some of the highest housing costs in the nation, woefully inadequate public transportation, and chronic flooding, just to name a few,” Dempster said in a statement. “Miami-Dade Democrats are confident that the election of Sabina Covo will represent a turning point for the City of Miami, in which public service and integrity will take center stage.”

Covo, who has lived in Brickell, Edgewater, Coconut Grove and the downtown, reported on the city of Miami for more than 15 years and said “it’s time for a trusted voice to represent the residents of District 2.”

“Miami deserves a representative who will work to enhance our
community,” Covo said in a statement. “We have to be creative in our approach, and our solutions need to be all-encompassing.”

The One Grove collective’s 35 members who endorsed Leal include residents of Miami’s Districts D3, D4 and mainly throughout D2 (Morningside, Downtown, Brickell and Coconut Grove). They say they spent more than 375 man-hours researching the candidates’ backgrounds, positions and records through primary and secondary independent sources and in-depth interviews. Criteria priorities included:

Competence – knowledge of Miami city government, its obstacles and the ability to navigate and leverage social, political and economic resources.
Vision – Specific plans to resolve District 2 problems, not generalized platitudes.
Communication – Ability to speak clearly, concisely, and inspire trust and consensus.
Commitment – A winning strategic plan to win the election without big-money funding.
Service – A proven history of community service.

After some straw polls with different focus groups — and this is a lot of effort to put into an endorsement — One Grove is backing Leal. They noted that he has “demonstrated substance and diplomacy defending Coconut Grove neighborhoods in “key political and development battles,” such as the Carrollton-Villa Woodbine campus proposal and the preservation of the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

“The City of Miami faces challenges that exceed the personality conflicts on the commission dais,” a statement from One Grove reads. “They are sophisticated, complex problems requiring structural solutions and the ability to navigate the city administration effectively. From among the candidates, Eddy Leal is uniquely capable.

“He knows how to get things done within the City of Miami’s often opaque administration and is willing to fight for the community. And he can hit the ground running.”

Mark your calendars: The Sierra Club is sponsoring a forum at the Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. The Brickell Homeowners Association will have a forum that begins at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Miami Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell Avenue.

Vote by mail or absentee ballots have already been mailed out to voters. But you need to request one if you haven’t recently, as a new law purges the AB requests after two elections. It can be done in a few minutes by clicking here. The deadline to request a ballot for the Feb. 27 election is Feb. 16.

There will also be three days of early voting starting Thursday, Feb. 23.

The Coconut Grove Spotlight has created a document with brief biographical summaries and position statements from the candidates. Download the document here.

Christine King

Endorsements come in for the four front runners in city of Miami District 2 race added by Ladra on February 3, 2023
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