Miami-Dade firefighter Omar Blanco has already gotten an entourage of local political stars to support his bid to run against Congresswoman Debbie 
Mucarsel-Powell in 2020, scoring a series of nice endorsements for the Republican primary in just a matter of weeks.
Among his supporters are Sen. Anitere Flores, Miami-Dade Commissioners Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Rebeca Sosa, Javier Souto and Joe Martinez and former Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, who also served as county commissioner and is headlining a fundraiser for Blanco on Monday.
“I have known Omar for over 15 years. He has dedicated his life to public service,” Diaz de la Portilla told Ladra Sunday. “He’s a common sense problem 
solver. His proven track record dealing with government at all levels will allow him to hit the round running in Congress from day one.”
Commissioner Martinez may have been the first to give Blanco, the president of the local firefighters union, his endorsement.
Read related: Fire union chief runs for Congress in CD26, creates GOP primary
“We have worked side by side in obtaining equipment not only for the firefighters but mainly
the Lucas device which saves lives during cardiac arrest,” Martinez said. “I’ve seen his dedication and concern not only for his members but for the public.
“As a former police officer, I worked closely on many calls with firefighters and appreciate their job. I also saw him fight state leadership on the firefighter cancer bill, which was stalled and stonewalled. He was effective. I know he will do his best in dysfunctional Washington.”
Irina Ilena Vilariño, who filed campaign account papers four months before Blanco, has former and disgraced State Rep. Frank Arti
les, who was forced to resign after a public racist rant at some black legislators in a Tallahassee restaurant. Oh, and former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, who beat a tax evasion rap in a trial that exposed him as a loan shark.
Dime con quien andas, y te dire quien eres.
Artiles was caught shamelessly living outside his district months after he was first elected and has also been accused of punching a college kid at a bar. Seems he can’t hold his liquor.
Read related: Caught playing politics, Jose Oliva pivots on firefighter cancer bill
He also has a personal grind against Blanco, so this is really about that, as you can tell from his Facebook page — from which he continuously deletes 
comments from people who see him for the con artist that he is. Like this one. It was screenshot before he deleted it. One of many.
Remember, Artiles also used Facebook to threaten Blanco when the fire union chief supported a colleague against Sen. Manny Diaz, Jr. Artiles then tried to have his friend, Speaker Jose Oliva, hold the firefighter cancer bill hostage this past session because of his vendetta against Blanco. It eventually passed and unanimously, but not until the vendetta was exposed and Oliva was pressured to move the bill forward.
Ladra can’t help but wonder if Vilariño has any of the #ThanksFrank Hooters girls on her campaign staff. She can afford them.
Vilariño, whose father owns the Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine restaurant chain and reportedly paid for the photo opportunity where she stood with Donald Trump, has collected $270,000, including a $40K loan from herself (#ThanksJulio?) and about $12,000 from family members, counting only the ones with the same last name. She also has at least $11,200 from Tallahassee strategist Brett Doster and three of his family members. He seems a little invested, right?
Robaina also tossed in another $2,800 maximum contribution, according to the first report representing the second quarter through June.
Blanco only announced last month, but with people like Diaz de la Portilla behind him, he should be able to raise more than that in his first quarter.
Because nobody wants Frank Artiles to win.
Omar Blanco and everyone else vs Irina Vilariño and Frank Artiles added by Ladra on
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