But voters feel chilling effect of cancel culture
Well, here’s something you don’t see every day in Florida: a Democrat woman leading both Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump in a popularity contest — and not just in the 305 liberal bubble, either.
According to the new Bendixen & Amandi poll of 600 voters between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, released Monday, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is riding higher than the two Republican powerhouses when it comes to local approval. Maybe it’s her mom-energy or the fact that she’s not yelling at Disney, but La Alcaldesa scored 54% approval overall — with support from a surprising majority of Republicans (54%) and nearly two-thirds of Democrats (64%). Only independents seemed a tad disappointed, giving her 44% positive marks.
Read related: Poll says Miami-Dade voters divided on most issues — and thinking of leaving
That puts her comfortably ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s down to a lukewarm 47% combined approval and a chilly 55% disapproval among independents. DeSantis still rules the GOP kennel, though — 92% of Republicans say they love their guv, probably because he’s still picking fights with Washington, the media, doctors, teachers, drag queens, well, everyone. The anti-
woke agenda is still going well for him inside the echo chamber.
Then there’s Donald Trump, whose numbers are reportedly dropping all over the MAGA world, even here en Trumplandia. Trump gets 46% approval overall in Miami-Dade, with Cuban voters keeping him afloat — 59% approve, nearly half of them strongly. But among Democrats, it’s almost universal loathing. Ladra probably couldn’t even print the words they used.
So yes, in the county where the GOP has made major inroads in recent elections, DLC may actually be the most popular elected official right now.
“One of Daniella Levine Cava’s super powers is that she has managed to not offend,” said Fernand Amandi, managing partner of what is perhaps the nation’s leading multilingual and multiethnic public opinion research and strategic communications consulting firm. “She doesn’t double down on prizing and as a result, she is palpable to a lot of different voter bases.”
Imagine that. Somebody call the mayor’s comms team — they just found their next fundraising email.
“The numbers reflect the deep rooted support and trust that Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has earned from Miami-Dade residents,” said Christian Ulvert, the mayor’s campaign consultant and political advisor. “While President Trump carried Miami-Dade with double digits last year, Mayor Levine Cava won the county in August by 35 points.”
True, that. But it might have been different if she had a real contender to force her into a runoff in November, when the GOP constitutional candidates swept in on The Donald’s coattails.
Either way, also happy: Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who is running for Miami mayor with DLC’s endorsement, which is apparently worth more than the Republican candidates in this “nonpartisan” race would like to think.
Read related: Daniella Levine Cava gives Higgins the expected abrazo in Miami mayor’s race
But, wait. Before anybody starts thinking Miami-Dade has turned into Denmark, the same poll shows something much darker about how we feel when we open our mouths.
Half the voters here — an even half — said they don’t feel safe expressing their opinions in public or online. Only 40% said they can speak freely without fear of retaliation.
And it cuts both ways. Republicans, usually the ones claiming “cancel culture,” were the only group where a majority — 56% — said they can speak freely. Democrats and independents? Most said they feel muzzled (53% and 63%, respectively). Ladra can’t 
help but think that this is intricately tied to the social media posts — and fallout from — that followed the public and horrifying assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, less than a month before the survey, which have led to firings and calls for a Palmetto Bay councilman to resign.
That’s a sobering split for a community that prides itself on saying whatever we want — loudly, and with hand gestures. Maybe it’s the political polarization. Maybe it’s the online mob culture. Or maybe it’s just Miami people realizing that in the age of screenshots, “freedom of speech” doesn’t mean “freedom from consequences.”
Read related: State slapped with federal lawsuit after firing biologist for Charlie Kirk post
Amandi calls it a casualty of the MAGA culture wars.
“It’s very sad that a question that I’ve only asked before in communist Cuba I’d feel was a question to ask here, and to get those results was even sadder,” he told Political Cortadito. He said the chill caught across age groups. “Among young people, also a majority felt that they couldn’t speak out,” Amandi said.
So the main takeaway: It says something when more Miami-Dade residents trust Mayor Levine Cava with their trash pickup than they trust the system with their voice.
Because what good is democracy — or even a good cafecito debate — if half the county is afraid to engage?
For more independent coverage of Miami-Dade and local government, support the watchdog journalism on Political Cortadito with a contribution. Every little bit helps keep Ladra’s bark loud and her bite sharp.
Poll: Daniella Levine Cava tops the guv, The Donald; but folks are afraid to bark added by Ladra on
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[…] Read related: Poll: Daniella Levine Cava tops the guv, The Donald; but folks are afraid to bark […]
Gotta agree with what Jose wrote at 8:19 AM today: The nearly-completely-open border helped sink Biden and Harris. The stream of humanity crossing the border provided perfect made-for-TV (especially for Fox News) images. These images upset many people, likely even many people who are pro-immigration but who also want things to be at least somewhat orderly. When they tightened things as the election neared, it was too late, and it was manipulative, because it indicated that they’d had the power to tighten things up all along. They just chose not to do so. It’s a shame that it helped usher in this disaster that we’re now living through. I don’t know how this country comes back after at another 3+ years of this, assuming that we get to elect a president again at all.
I enjoy reading “The Truth’s” comments. They hate what Ladra writes but they read it anyway, maybe to hear a different perspective. That’s pretty cool.
Daniella Cava means HIGH TAXES. While Cava has been Mayor of M-D County taxes and fees have gone way up. $12 Billion in revenues is a huge increase in taxes and fees. Cava hires too many of her friends at huge salaries and her lobbyist Ulvert is a crook.
Let me add that Cava on her best day is substandard and zero accountability but yet BETTER then the Cubans before her who were worse in every way but she is no winner .
” Trump has become a dictator. Thanks to Cubans and uneducated white people who voted for him Trump is taking steps to eliminate fair Midterm Elections. Trump has increased his Net Worth by $3 Billion in 2025. DeSantis is a member of the Trump Cult. Daniella Cava wastes taxpayer money and she has too many overpaid publicists. .”
Great post as you called them all out and deservingly so but keep in mind , Trump carried the majority of Independent voters and not long ago while at the VA ( before shut down ) I spoke to Black men who never voted Republican , they certainly can not stand DeSantis but they voted for Trump and due to Biden / Harris border , illegals being sent to their neighborhoods , their kids schools .
Biden / Harris shot themselves in the leg with border alone .
I am not surprised many are hesitant or afraid to speak out publicly. The MAGA movement has a lot of violent people. Remember the shameful insurrection of January 6, 2021 and the big lie that Trump defeated Biden in 2020. Trump is psychologically deranged. He is very dangerous and will probably try to steal the 2026 congressional elections. As a Cuban American, I am embarrassed so many Hispanics voted for Trump. If the MAGA candidate loses the presidential election of 2028, we will surely see violence and another insurrection, most unfortunately. The MAGA movement does not believe in democracy. Neither does Trump. The only good thing is that there is a lot of very strong opposition to Trump and MAGA in our country. Hopefully, that will save our nation and our democracy.
Mayor Levine Cava has gotten bipartisan approval because she gets things done. She is genuine and has been on the scene at seemingly every community event or tragedy. We need more politicians like her.
[…] Read related: Poll: Daniella Levine Cava tops the guv, The Donald; but folks are afraid to bark […]
Trump has become a dictator. Thanks to Cubans and uneducated white people who voted for him Trump is taking steps to eliminate fair Midterm Elections. Trump has increased his Net Worth by $3 Billion in 2025. DeSantis is a member of the Trump Cult. Daniella Cava wastes taxpayer money and she has too many overpaid publicists. .
This piece is both comical and delusional. This so obvious written for Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava to show that she is a legitimate contender for Governor. How much money did Christian Ulvert paid you Ladra? Hmmm how did you get a hold of the poll? How did you know about the poll? Hmmm, was it given to you by Fernand Amandi or Christina Ulvert?
Too say that Republicans feel they can speak freely compared to Democrats and Independents is an attempt and effort to legitimize the poll.
Ladra, I am calling you on your bullshit!
I am shocked that it is only 60% of Cuban-descent voters approve of Trump .
I would have thought at min 80 percent and again a minimum .
I’m in Doral and a lot of Venezuelans voted for Trump thinking he was going to deport ” the others ” not Venezuelans so the hypocrisy is not just exclusive to Cubans .
Seems to me that in the Hispanic world , everyone wants ” the others ” deported but not theirs .
Actually the only thing I like are the deportations as IMO Doral seriously needed it and I voted for Harris because she wasn’t Trump but do find the hypocrisy of those who now have buyers remorse funny .
Yes, maybe DLC should run against Gimenez or Scott.
I like the results for DLC. That’s an unexpected pleasant surprise for me. Too bad that 60% of Cuban-descent voters approve of Trump. I wonder how that compares to how many of them voted for him in 2024. I’d also love to get into the weeds with those data to see how those approval ratings fall within the various age groups of Cuban-descent voters. Still, given the overall approval rating of 46%, one can imagine how low approval is among other voting blocs that it essential negates the high approval of Cuban-descent voters. I really like the <50% approval ratings for DeSantis and Trump, too. Wish they were even lower. I agree with your assessment of people's feeling muzzled. There have been a number of attention-grabbing cases of people losing their jobs – even here locally – for social media posts about Kirk's death. Again, not surprising that it's being felt more on the left than on the right.
So, what happened with that $402 million deficit in the county budget? How did Mayor Levine Cava smooth over that?
Run against one of the sell out GOP members of congress
Gimenez would be a good target