The city of Doral has a new mayor today after voters on Tuesday chose former Councilwoman and Miami-Dade School Board Member Christi Fraga over Councilwoman Claudia Mariaca, 55% to 45%.
There were also two new council members elected on much narrower margins. Both Rafael Pineyro and Maureen Porras beat opponents Susie Castillo and Ivette Gonzalez Petkovich, 51% to 49% and 52% to 48%, respectively. It was a flip for both. Gonzalez left the first round in August with 43% to Porras 38% and Castillo had a 10-point lead over Pinyero.
Castillo had run on a slate with Mariaca and Gonzalez. Meanwhile, Fraga ran on a slate with Porras and Pinyero.
The election was also sort of a snub to former Mayor J.C. Bermudez, who was elected to the county commission in August, because all three candidates he had endorsed lost.
“It’s the will of the people and you have to move forward,” Bermudez told Ladra Tuesday night. “We’re going to have to evaluate but there was probably a higher Republican turnout today than expected.”
Fraga is the GOP’s pick, even though she abandoned the party for several years as an independent. The Republican leadership — State Reps. Alex Rizzo and David Borrero, Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo, Medley Mayor Robert Martell and Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago — endorsed Fraga. Future Speaker Daniel Perez contributed to her campaign. Her consultant was David “Disgustin” Custin, which is Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez‘s go-to hitman.
Read related: Christi Fraga won’t resign now so voters can elect a school board replacement
Even the endorsement from former Councilman Pete Cabrera, who got 27% of the vote in August for a third place finish, didn’t help Mariaca.
According to their campaign finance reports, Fraga had more money to get her message out than Mariaca did. Fraga collected $295,018 — including a $10,000 bundle from developer Lewis Swezy — while Mariaca got almost $225K, as of Dec. 8.
In the council races, both of the better funded candidates won. Castillo raised close to $118,000 compared to Pinyero’s $64K and Porras raised almost half as much as Gonzalez ($48,765 to $89,295).
The election must be certified this week before the winners can be sworn in Dec. 21 for the first city council meeting.
Doral elects new mayor, Christi Fraga, and two new city council members added by Ladra on
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I know many left during Bermudez’s return , heard he was rather different his first two terms as far as better .
I contacted Doral officials for few things and the guy I mentioned was great , he is now in another city position further north in the state .
I emailed the Mayor where he is and told him that our loss is his gain because they guy is great .
Bermudez will become Commissioner Jose Pepe Diaz 2 as far as working only for special interest.
The apathy in Doral from residents has always taken me back , could not believe he was elected as Commissioner thus rewarded for his self serving , up for sale reign as Mayor , ESPECIALLY after the park fiasco .
@Jose I am familiar with that person. There are quality former Doral staff all throughout South Florida. Many left during JC Bermudez II: Electric Boogaloo and the subsequent reign of terror by a lackey City Manager who got hooked up St. Thomas University after he put together a master’s course in mismanagement. We can only hope he’s not teaching management courses.
” Doralians waking up”
NEVER going to happen , the small percentage who vote in the end rewarded him with Commissioner so that speaks volumes , the rest are apathetic zombies ..
Your post is beautiful and spot on as the Brits would say but as far as waking up I do not see to many waking up in Doral , EVER .
Digna is another one who should have not been reelected .I voted against every incumbent as ALL work only for developers .
I remember when the flyers for the new park scam were going out , the way it was worded plenty thought it was free .
I told countless in the little community I live that a bond is not free and taxes will go up ( these people are not kids ) in fact that was actually printed in the flyer written the size of an ants thumb .
I told them this is ANOTHER Bermudez and Jose Pepe Diaz ” consultation ” fee developer scam but if you live in Doral you know it is a waste of time .
The flyers made the park look like some future Disney water park and now it is going to be what an above ground 20 feet diameter pool ?
Lol
Btw , if you work for city of Doral or know anyone who does since you mention employee morale the city lost an incredible official who now works further north in Florida , I will not name him but he is a Navy Vet so you know who he is .. .
Doralians waking up to previous years of mismanagement by Bermudez appointing yes-men and women to key positions instead of qualified individuals. Started with City Manager Al Childress pushing key administrative personnel with his wanna-be military sergeant management style, low employee morale, and his failed deployment of permitting software, despite warnings by staff that it wasn’t ready, which led to permitting chaos and pissed off developers. His resignation was neatly disguised as amicable to allow Bermudez to keep his facade. It only cost residents an expensive payout of one of largest city manager contracts in the county. Continued with the lifetime pensions for elected officials and clever slight of hand changing parks bond scope to include an amphitheater for Pete Cabrera and a baseball field for JC Bermudez High. How many HR directors and Planning Directors in that same time?
The percentage of actual voters in Doral compared to how many can vote is pathetic .
Political apathy defines Doral and SweetWater and in Doral you see it reflected in these assorted gated communities Board elections .
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There are two 30 year blonde hair , blue eyed women in Doral waiting on two different lines on same day .
One is Hispanic the other is Anglo ( REAL Anglo not White Hispanics who say they are European ).
One is waiting on line to vote in a local election . She will be on line for an hour .
The other is waiting to buy a new cell phone that she doesn’t even need but it is not yet sold online . She will be on line for four hours .
Who is the Hispanic woman ?
Lol you guessed it .
I do not agree with Fraga on much as far as politics and putting it mildly no fan of Christian groups who supported her BUT Mariaca like Mayor Bermudez who sadly was rewarded with Commissioner and Digna again sadly reelected ALL work only for developers.
Zoning laws were changed for developers which all of them supported , a disaster of an expensive unfinished park by Bermudez ( unbelievable he was elected as Commissioner) .
Sell me out JUST ONCE and I vote against you so I voted against all of them .
Hope Fraga is better but here it is often one disappointment after another as the real Mayors in Doral are the developers but again I will go with someone new over someone who has already demonstrated they dance with developers .
I am glad that Fraga is no fan of now Commissioner Bermudez who is on his way to being another developer owned Jose Pepe Diaz .