Ricky Arriola draws 3rd challenge in Miami Beach commission race

With less than two weeks left before qualifying, a third candidate has filed to run against Miami Beach Commissioner Ricky Arriola.

Stephen Cohen, a real estate investor specializing in the South Beach luxury condo market, on Tuesday joined Raquel Pacheco, a retired soldier, business owner and PTA mom, and Jonathan Welsh, a healthcare marketing executive, in the race to unseat Arriola. He announced it on Facebook:

“Yesterday, I filed to run for Miami Beach Commission, Group 5. To best explain why I am running, I wanted to share a childhood story. It was my Elementary school play (Care Bears), when Mrs. Garfield said, ‘whether you are the lead actor of the play or just have one line – to your parents, you are the star.’ Whether you are a Billionaire Developer or a millennial that just moved to Miami Beach, you are a Star to me.

“It’s time for Miami Beach government to treat every resident equally with transparency, accountability, and decency. Stay tuned, I am going to show the world inner workings of campaigns, politics, and local government. Let’s learn what’s wrong with our system. So we can fix it together.”

Cohen could have run in one of the other two commission seats that are technically open seats (although one could argue that Kristen Rosen Gonzalez is a defacto incumbent). But he feels Arriola is not representing.

“Ricky Arriola is out of touch with residents. He only cares about special interests that will fill his war chest,” Cohen told Ladra in a text message. “I will fund my own campaign to win. I will work harder than anyone and have the community behind me.”

Grant Stern, a Miami activist and political podcaster with a mortgage company, said that Cohen “is a serious candidate on the issues and has a strong social media following in the Miami Beach FB groups.”

Arriola is vulnerable. Metio el pie en la boca when he traveled to Cuba with former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine — becoming the first elected officials from the 305 to visit the island in 50 years — and came back promoting a Miami Beach consulate office for the Castro regime. He has since become the biggest champion of over development on North Beach. Noted, he has been far less flashy or energetic since his BFF Levine left office to run for governor.

And the lack of enthusiasm for his continued “public service” is evident in the fact that he has been forced to loan himself $100K for his campaign account so he can have a semi-respectable $159,500, according to the latest finance reports. An incumbent who has done a good job should be able to raise more.

Mayor Dan Gelber, the other incumbent on the ballot, has raised $196,000 in almost the exact same amount of time.

Neither of the other two candidates in the Group 5 contest have broken $5,000, which is about what Arriola has spent.

Qualifying ends on Sept. 6 for the Nov. 5 election.

Miami Beach politics, Ricky Arriola, Stephen Cohen

Ricky Arriola draws 3rd challenge in Miami Beach commission race added by Ladra on August 28, 2019
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