In the race for Coral Gables mayor, the campaign financing is super lopsided. Incumbent Mayor Vince Lago has out-fundraised Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who has challenged him — more than 16 to 1.
After coming in with a negative total in his December report, Lago’s campaign finance reports show he has raised $263,825 just since January, with $108,750 coming in the first two weeks of February. These last couple of months and the first week of March have doubled his take since last year to $430,925.
A lot of his contributions are still coming in at the $1,000 maximum amount, and a whole lot of it is not from Coral Gables, with addresses in Doral, Virginia Gardens, Hialeah, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami proper and as far away as Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Kirkland, Washington.
A lot of it is also from real estate developers and construction industry folks who know a friendly pol when they see one.
There are also a few bundles, which is one person or group contributing more than the maximum $1,000 through relatives and multiple companies. This includes $15,000 from former Commissioner Frank Quesada and John H. Ruiz, the University of Miami booster whose LifeWallet company was placed under civil and criminal investigations last year amid fraud allegations and billions of dollars that disappeared. The company was also sued by Cano Health, which alleged it was a “Ponzi scheme.”
Also listed is at least $5,000 each from the Agave developers, developer Lissette Calderon, contractor Carlos Marquez, another $4,000 between Jesse Manzano, his campaign consultant, and Ralph Garcia-Toledo — the two have a development firm together. Don’t feel too bad for Manzano, though, because he’s been paid more than $24,000 just since January for consulting and research.
Read related: Kirk Menendez strikes back at Coral Gables Mayor ‘Lyin’ Vince Lago’
This does not include anything raised by his political action committee, Coral Gables First, which hasn’t reported any transaction since last year.
In comparison, Menendez — who does not have a political action committee whose PAC, The Coral Gables Way, has reported not one dime through December — has raised nearly $26,000 in total, since January of last year. He raised $8,480 since the beginning of this year. Only 12 of the 67 individual contributions are the $1,000 maximum donation. The great majority are from the Gables. And there are no bundles.
Of course, we won’t know how much it raised in this quarter until after the election, right? People could have been waiting until now to give to Kirk’s PAC so that the mayor doesn’t retaliate against them. He’s known to hold a grudge.
Gables voters are not easily swayed by fancy advertisements and slick videos. Two years ago, Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez beat better funded candidates who had Lago’s support, which shows the mayor’s impact among voters is waning.
Because a lot of the people who donated to Lago’s campaign, unlike those who donated to Kirk’s, can’t vote in the city election.
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago rakes in campaign funds, much from developers added by Ladra on
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Just because you, Mayor Logo, raised a heck of a lot of donations from financially rich and savvy companies in and outside Coral Gables does NOT indicate you deserve to be reelected as major..
Obviously these companies expect favorable paybacks once you are reelected and their development projects in Coral Gables come before your commission for a vote!
What have you done for me, a 51 yrs. resident of Coral Gables?
I cannot get out of my driveway in the afternoon when parents pick up their kids from Sunset Elementary School!
Coral Gables residents wake up and elect a Major who really cares for our daily lives!!!
Not one who is in the pockets of rich development companies viewing for ruining our City Beautiful!
Vince Lago is an EGO DRIVEN, JOKE BULLY! Should never be in power in any capacity anywhere.
Lies, tries to intimidate anyone who doesn’t agree with him. A total looser.
Wow, Marcelo…as a 35 year resident, I can say the choice for me is clearly NOT Lago!
What does you being a socially liberal person have to do with choosing who to vote for in Coral Gables???
Lago is aggressive, a bully, a poor loser, and he has turned our city into a mini-Brickell (with massive help from his sidekick, Rhonda Anderson who pledged to combat overdevelopment, but also sold out big time to the developers.) The two of them have damaged our city irreparably. Their spin on everything they’ve done is a farce.
Menendez actually cares about the residents. Lago and Anderson need to GO NOW before they can do anymore damage to our soon-not-to-be the City Beautiful!
Quien: Lago voted against the pay raises and car allowance. Kirk voted for them.
Just spoke with a trusted friend/attorney who knows him and he referred to him as NUTS or LOCO!
For me, the self-serving raise and car allowance was enough!
What do Lago’s supporters need to find out about him to realize Kirk is the better choice for Coral Gables? Is it Lago’s ego, shady business and personal dealings, or the fact that he’s never met a lie he didn’t like? Or is it lay? Either way, we’ve gotten fleas from over a decade of this angry individual. Vote Kirk.
Dear Mark Harris.
It was not intentional to leave out Kirk Menendez’s PAC. I didn’t know. Ladra doesn’t know everything. So, thank you for bringing it to my attention. I will edit the post to reflect that.
The Coral Gables Way, which is registered at the state of Florida, has ZERO dollars reported since it was opened last Fall. So, is it really a PAC or just a scare tactic?
Of course, we won’t know how much it raised in this quarter until after the election, right? People could have been waiting until now to give so that the mayor doesn’t retaliate against them. That’s what I would do.
Love, Ladra
Sorry to say that I am NOT surprised to read how Lago has amassed so much money for his campaign. I guess political favors do really pay off! Did anyone not expect most of his financial support to come from developers, lobbyists, attorneys of developers and lobbyists, EVEN out of town developers? Even developers that do not develop in Coral Gables. What is all this about? So much money for such a small municipality! What is the common thread that binds most of them together? People that have something to lose if he is not re-elected! He has been heard to say to some of them something like IF I DO NOT GET RE-ELECTED you are all in big trouble. What surprised me is not to find the name of the company that he “owns” and that provides him with his newly acquired “luxurious” lifestyle: BDI Construction.
And “God only knows” how much money he has raised for his PAC!!!!!
Thank you so much
Jackson Rip Holmes
Dear Ladra,
Information is important to me, especially in a contentious election like this one taking place in my city. However, I have found it difficult to take your posts at face value because you leave out important details (this seems rather intentional.) Kirk Menendez does have a PAC. It is called “The Coral Gables Way” (maybe more like Kirk’s way) and Kirk is the chair of the committee. Why did you leave this out? I typically keep quiet about my views but the intentional omission of this fact is extremely concerning to me.
As a resident of Coral Gables for over 20 years AND as a very socially liberal person, I don’t think there’s any choice in The Gables but Lago. He is responsive to our needs. Period. Kirk Menendez is just a body around the commission table. He hasn’t really done shit for us.