Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla has a new challenger as of Thursday when Marvin Tapia, brand ambassador and shareholder of the Salty Donut and chairman of the Miami-Dade Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, filed to run in the city’s November election.
And it’s too late for the city commission to cut his house out of the district.
Tapia, 36, has lived in District 1 for 20 years. The onetime club promoter worked for UPS for 15 years and started promoting again — this time it was Little Havana. He has given tours and done photo shoots. He took Jimmy Butler to have Cuban coffee at a ventanita and was recently featured in the John Leguizamo Does America program.
Read related: New Miami map draws opponent out of Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s district
The Colombian-born Barranquillero is also the spokesman for Viernes Culturales, the popular third-Friday-of-the-month music and art event that had to change from the fourth Friday of the month after a feud with Commissioner Joe Carollo. That means Tapia is pals with Bill Fuller, co-owner of Ball and Chain restaurant and bar on Calle Ocho, who sued Carollo and recently won a $63 million judgement in federal court. Tapia was among the business leaders and residents who rallied in June for Carollo to resign or be removed from the seat in the wake of that federal ruling, which found him guilty of violating Fuller’s first amendment rights.
Tapia says that one of the things driving him to run is the fact that Miami residents are tired of representatives who abuse their office and care more about themselves than constituents.
“People are more aware about it today,” he told Ladra. “And it’s time to change that out.”
“I want my son to live and grow up in a city where the politicians really care about the people,” said Tapia, father to a 5-year-old.
We don’t know yet if he will be the only challenger on the ballot.
Miguel Angel Gabela, an auto parts dealer who has been campaigning since February, had his home cut out of the district during the redistricting process. Gabela, who forced ADLP into a runoff in 2019, has sued to get on the ballot, but that case has not been heard.
Would-be candidates have until Sept. 23 to qualify.
Tapia waited to announce until after the map was drawn and decided. And he is ready to fight.
Read related: Miami’s Alex Diaz de la Portilla raises more than $1.2 mil in four months
“Everyone has warned me about how nasty he can get,” Tapia told Ladra about Diaz de la Portilla. “My focus is on winning this seat. While he is focusing on me, I’ll be focusing on the voters.
“This race is all about the status quo. If the residents of District 1 are happy with what they’ve gotten in the past four years, they know who to vote for. If they want someone who will really represent them and bring good things to the district, they can vote for me.”
‘Mr. Miami Marvin’ Tapia challenges Alex Diaz de la Portilla in city election added by Ladra on
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