Not everyone is doing terribly in the economic crisis fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The four viable Miami-Dade mayoral candidates have raised more than $12 million between them, and spent at 
least $9.5 million through July 31, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed Friday with the Miami-Dade Elections Department.
The biggest bank belongs to the shadow banker: Former Mayor Alex Penelas has raised a total of $4,837,866 between his campaign account and his Bold Vision political action committee. Some of that money is from some controversial sources: $300K from pro-Cuba healthcare magnate Mike Fernandez, another $100K at least from a business partner of former Hialeah Mayor and fellow banker Julio Robaina.
Penelas has spent a little more than $3.2 million so far — about a half million in the last week of July — so he has he has almost $1.6 million left in hand. That’s almost twice as much as Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava still has at her disposal. That’s a lot to apply to the last two weeks of the 
election.
DLC raised almost $3.6 million between her account and the Our Democracy PAC. After spending more than $2.9 million, she has about $688,460 left.
Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bovo has raised more than $2 million between his account and his A Better Miami-Dade PAC — including, most recently, $50,00o0 from attorney John H. Ruiz, who just bought a new mansion in Gables Estates for $49 million. Bovo has spent more than $1.66 million — including $150,000 on TV air time and more than $100,000 on radio ad time — and still has about $368K left.
Read related: Poll has Daniella Levine Cava vs Steve Bovo in Miami-Dade mayoral runoff
And Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who is not good at asking for money and does not have a professional fundraiser for the campaign, has spent almost all of his $1.65 million nut, which includes the Imagine Miami PAC account, and is running out of money with almost $65,000 in hand.
This does not count the dark money that is being spent by the mysterious PACs. Defender la Justicia, 
which has been attacking Penelas, has raised and spent $250,000 on direct mail attacks since June 15. All of it has come from other PACs and a non profit called Florida for All, Inc. And we may never know what A Better Miami-Dade Inc. spent attacking mostly Bovo and Suarez because they don’t have to file campaign finance reports.
By the time the first round is over Aug. 18, at the rate these wannabe mayors are shelling it out, it’s likely that the total investment from all of them is more than $15 million. By the time the general comes around in November it will be upwards of $20 million.
That’s some economic stimulus at a very important time.
Big 4 Miami-Dade mayoral candidates together raise $12 million plus for race added by Ladra on
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I heard Cava asked the judge in open court testimony to go easy on Matt Greer when NPR & Frontline covered this embarrassment for Miami.
https://www.npr.org/2017/05/09/527046451/affordable-housing-program-costs-more-shelters-less
I am sure all of the developers are excited for equal treatment where she uses her status to get them sweetheart deals in court.
How come no one has tied Daniella Levine to Bruce Bagley who taught about corruption? I thought he was one of her close friends, and she hired his daughter when she couldn’t get any other work? What happened with that?
Sounds like a fair weather friendship since she didn’t come to his defense and then let the girl go just before his case made national headlines….
Now if the Big 4 candidates are spending beaucoup bucks, at least $9.5 million to date, why don’t we see their ads on Miami-Dade’s premier political blog? Is your advertising department slipping, or are they just unwilling to spend money on a site that points out the skid marks in their political drawers?
Penelas has not reached these lofty heights of fund raising by agglomerating $8 donations from little abuelitas. These are heavy duty donors that have fueled his clambering toward the mayor’s office. His being at the top of the fundraising heap simply confirms that he will be, by rar, the most sold-out / favor-owing candidate / yes, corrupt mayor we could possibly elect.
My guess is that Penelas will out-corrupt even his first tenure as mayor. Alex is much older now and this time around is certain to be his last chance to stuff his pockets and those of his henchmen. As I have mentioned previously, he brought in none other than Supreme Slimeball Steve Shiver as COUNTY MANAGER (yes, amazing) last time around to run the whole corruption gravy train for him.
Mark my words: you will not be able to sell a ball point pen to the County bureaucracy without a diabolical blessing from one of the top lobbyists.
One has 4 Union$ $upport, one is clueless. Another not ready for prime time but Philosophical. Last one is more mature, has business experience, a past, but wager would be best choice. Now not time to experiment when serious leadership required.
Good reporting!
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jackson Rip Holmes
Lobbyists, vendors and sleazy scammers want to buy influence with whomever wins. So much corruption, so little time. Penelas is the worst. Anybody but Penelas is my motto.
Mnuchin, and The Speaker were working out a Msth Quiz problem Friday to which, each gave a different answer. Each is supposed to yield ” half ” : half of three trillion $$$ is one and a half, and half of one trillion $$$ is half, added in this case. The answer is one and a half. We hope we were of some help!