Good money is on Rebeca Sosa for new commission chair

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It’s most likely going to be a woman — the Miami-Dade County Commissioner that replaces former Chairman Joe Martinez — who lost a mayoral challenge to the incumbent two weeks ago.

And according to the malas lenguas in the know, it really boils down to one of two choices: Vice Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson and Commissioner Rebeca Sosa.

Experience-wise, it’s almost a toss up. Edmonson and Sosa have both been around for more than a decade, having been first elected in 2001. Both have also led committees on some of the county’s most important stuff. Edmonson has chaired the Infrastructure and Land Use and the Census Redistricting committees as well as the Value Adjustment Board. She is also the county’s representative on the Children’s Trust and served as co-chair of the Public Safety Committee and coordinator of the commission’s Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort.

Sosa, meanwhile, who has chaired committees for procurement, the Port of Maimi, Health and Public Safety and intergovernmental affairs. She has also been a member of the Airport and Tourism and Budget and Finance committees as well as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

But my money is on the Latina. Not only because of that, and it does pander to the Cuban contributing constiuency, but because of other reasons. One, she has the benefit of prior experience as the mayor of West Miami for seven years. Two, she does not have the political baggage of a recent election (in fact, was re-elected unopposed in 20120). Edmonson obviously has the people in her district’s support, with  62 to 38 win two weeks ago over Keon Hardemon, who was cast as a Norman Braman candidate, her moving to the chairmanship might be seen as too much of a political move.

But does she have the support on the dais? Which leads me to number three:

Despite some of her colleagues trying to make her look stupid when she asked legitimate questions today about the annexation task force, Ladra thinks she has the votes. Let’s count ’em, shall we? Commissioners Esteban “El Bobo” Bovo, Javier Souto, Lynda Bell, Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Xavier Suarez, freshman Juan Zapata, Bruno Barreiro — who survived the toughest of the Nov. 6 races, 52 to 48 against former State Rep. Luis Garcia — and maybe Sally Heyman. Seven of 13, maybe eight.

Sosa, who was also once mayor of West Miami, is also the likely choice, not because she is a Cuban-American and it panders to those important and contributing constituents, but also because she has been rumored to be a potential mayoral candidate for years — and a chairmanship would be a nice thank you for not running against Mayor Carlos “Not So Golden Boy” Gimenez, like the prior chairman had the gumption to.

Anyway, this is going to happen any moment now so if anyone is in a betting mood and wants to take me up on a challenge to my pick, the clock is ticking.

Yeah, I didn’t think there’d be anybody anyway.