There’s a reason why both Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo — who hopes to be the next county mayor — have endorsed Zoraida Barreiro in the District 5 commission race: They want to stay in control.
They like things the way they are.
Barreiro would be a known entity, a Republican on an increasingly partisan board who would likely vote along the same “party” lines as her husband,
former Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, whose abrupt resignation to run for Congress set the stage for this shotgun wedding election to benefit his beloved. Who said romance is dead?
Zory Barreiro is of the dynasty, by marriage not blood, but still a newby to the dais and would likely take to King Carlos and Bobo Bovo like a baby to a, um, a blanket. They would be her mentors. And she would definitely be a vote in their pocket, whether she knows it or not.
Read related: Eileen Higgins makes history leading special county race against the odds
Eileen Higgins, on the other hand, could upset the apple cart. Higgins is la gringa activist, a really newby who, despite living here only a few years, actually won the first round, topping both Barreiro and former Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla with 35% of the vote (Barreiro got 33% but is still considered the front runner). Higgins would likely follow the likes of Daniella Levine Cava and Barbara Jordan, other Democrats on the dais.
And with Higgins, the Dems would have a majority on a body that has been evenly split. Let’s count ’em: Jordan, Jean Monestime, Audrey Edmonson, Sally Heyman, Levine Cava, Dennis Moss. That’s six. Commissioner Xavier Suarez is an NPA like yours truly. Bruno and the other five that are left — Rebeca Sosa, Javier Souto, Joe Martinez, Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Bovo are all Republican. The even split stays if Barreiro wins the runoff. But if Higgins wins? It could really change the dynamics on that dais.
Translation: Gimenez might lose control.
A perfect example is the living wage ordinance that passed purely on partisan lines and that the mayor later vetoed. A potential commission override would need a super majority so one more person than the 7 who passed it. If that vote were to happen with Barreiro on the dais, she would vote no. If Higgins was up there, that’s a yes vote right there.
Of course, this dynamic may not translate to every issue. After all, Daniella finds herself voting solita all the time — against the mega 
mall, against expanding the Kendall charter school, against the FP&L Turkey Point water reuse deal, against the CDMP case converting industrial zoned land to residential in West Kendall, against loosening the Sunshine Laws.
And how many votes have been 7-6 that might have gone the other way with someone like Higgins on the board?
Levine Cava, who is often the dissenting vote on items and the lone, if soft, voice of reason, has endorsed Higgins, naturally.
Read related: Dems push full court press for Eileen Higgins in District 5 county race
“I think she sees eye to eye with me on environmental issues, on labor issues on transit issues.”
And on sanctuary cities. Gun control. Gender neutral bathrooms.
Higgins might change the conversation on these social issues and her presence might just give some of the other Democrats (yes, Ladra is talking to you Sally) the courage to be themselves.
Eileen Higgins would upset the apple cart, and add checks and balances added by Ladra on
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Higgins will win!!! This pretentious MDC republican foundation is already cracking! District 5 citizens will vote for Higgins by the thousands, I can assure you. Zoiraida has no idea how to be a public servant, her husband will continue advising her from behind her.
Chacon,
Really? Do any of the people on the BCC keep any of your promises?
Maybe some are better at giving you lip service or telling you nicely or pretending like they don’t care…
Whomever ends up with the seat, isn’t going to honor their promises…
By the way, Christian Ulvert is good friends with your buddies who lobby for Uber…
[…] Read related story: Eileen Higgins would upset the apple cart, add checks and balances […]
Danielle votes how her “volunteer” campaign manager ( who is hired by special interests to “softly” lobby her ) tells her to vote.
Higgins will do the same. So now you will have two people helping to grow this guy’s bank account so he can live the lifestyle of the rich and famous for which he has come accustomed.
It’s really unfortunate that Miami is too corrupt for nonpartisan politics to take place on the local level.
It’s a game where the very few will prosper at the expense of the many people…
Disgusting
Is “arrow dynasty” a derogatory reference to certain Hispanics in Little Havana that vote for Barreiro?
It’s shameful to read vailed language is just an excuse to vote by race (read this: Democrat Candidate Wants To Make Miami White again…).
I see that the bar Arrow Dynasty supporters are responding to your article. Anyone who knows anything about District 5 and the political power wielded by our commissioners , would in no circomstances, continue to support a dynasty.
What is extremely interesting is that the dynasty supporters are saying that Bruno was the most liberal of the Republicans on the dais are using that as the main reason to continue voting for the dynasty.
My personal issue with Bruno barreiro is that he has been the idiot on that dais for 20 years. He has being a laughingstock. It’s time for a change.
I think your veto override math is off. If there are 13 commissioners then you need 9 to override the mayor. You would still need one of the 5 to change sides to override the veto even if there were another aye vote.
Henry is right about Bruno. He was one of the most liberal Republicans on the environment, LGBT issues, and spending for infrastructure and transportation. He championed eliminating fares on MDT. Hopefully, Zori’s priorities are similar.
I will Vote for Higgins ! Tired of Promises never kept by The BCC and their Donations Votes ?
THE DISCRIMINATION HAVE TO STOP IN COUNTY HALL ? The State Should launch an Investigation on Corruption starting W/ the CAO , OIG & Ethics Their Public Records on E Mail Servers will give them away ?
Bruno Barrerio is responsible for all the new billboards in Miami-Dade County. Bruno was the go-to guy for every billboard lobbyist wanting legislation favorable to billboards. And do not forget Bruno made the Motion to Approve forcing the taxpayers to pay over $3 Billion on the Marlins Stadium.
Isn’t Barreiro considered a moderate whose husband when he was on the commission worked with Gwen Margolis on the bipartisan effort to ensure basic civil rights for the LGBT community, for years on environmental safety and the clean up of the Miami River, and on adopting the big labor’s wage book on county projects? But Zoraida is her own person and we’re not supposed to look at her husband’s “positive” record, right?
Who votes “party line” on a non-partisan commission anyways? Does this article imoly that Higgins and Levine-Cava would?
We need a person that lives the same things we do, and not like Eileen which lives in a very expensive high rise in downtown on the 39th floor looking down on us, her business is in Coral Gables and not in district 5 at all, and to top it off she even goes to her church in Coral Gables, now does she really know anything about district 5 not at all… we want ZORAIDA BARREIRO FOR COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5 !!!