With 45 days left, these are races to watch

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So, there are 45 days left in the race for the White House and all the little, smaller seats that actually sometimes have a lot more impact on our day to day lives — and resources and services and taxes — than the national election.

And while you can expect me to dwell repeatedly through the next month and a half on the presidential contest between the liar and the bafoon, you can also bet that I will spend a little time on the local races I have the most love for right now. And they run the gamut, from tiny municipal elections in towns like Doral and Miami Lakes (more on both later) and the county commission runoff between incumbent Commissioner Bruno Barreiro and former State Rep. Luis Garcia, the only Norman Braman buncher left, to the Senate seat race between incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson and Connie Mack III, the Republican challenger with almost no chance.

In between, Ladra will also watch the Congressional contest between Republican incumbent King David “Nine Lives” Rivera and “Say it Ain’t So Joe” Garcia — his Democratic challenger for the third time — if only because it’s going to be a real battle maybe for the first time. But Ladra still gives it to the King, even though it may not last (more on that later). And, of course, the race for state house seat 112 brewing between former Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla and newcomer super Democrat lawyer Jose Javier Rodriguez — if only because the Dean is running, which is certainly reason enough and a free school for the young Mr. Rodriguez (more on that later).

There is also a smattering of other state races that are a little less exciting, but the challenges to State Reps. Erik Fresen and Michael Bileca may be worth keeping one eye on, if only for pure entertainment value. Or to gauge the recovery of the local economy. I mean, the Republican Party of Florida already paid for a four-page, full color mailer for Bileca that arrived last week. Wonder how much more they are going to commit in the race against Democratic challenger Jeffery Solomon. Exactly my point. And then there’s also a very under-the-radar race in Key Biscayne, which probably deserves more attention, even though Ladra knows nothing about it.

But just when you think you might be done for a bit, things are already heating up for next year and the Miami city elections shaping up for 2013. Everybody knows that Commissioner Francis Suarez may put in for the mayor’s seat, and we already have a challenger to Commissioner Frank Carollo in the way of Alex Dominguez, who lost in the Democratic primary for 112 to Rodriguez and is now, apparently, shopping for a new elected office to seek.

But I don’t know if I can even get to Miami when Hialeah will have its own city elections next year and with the freeze on the bulk of the absentee ballot operations, that kind of turns things on its collective head. How is Council President Luis Gonzalez going to get elected now? We shall see. Stay tuned.

Still, let’s stay concentrated on the next 45 days and the races I’ve identified as Ladra’s favorites for this November.

Did I forget anybody? Who are your favorite races to watch this year and why?