Swearing in at Miami Beach attracts other local electeds

Swearing in at Miami Beach attracts other local electeds

Several other electeds came from near and far to pay their respects and roll out the red carpet as the newly-elected mayor and commissioner were sworn in Monday at Miami Beach City Hall. They included Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez, his son, Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez (who let me kneel down next to him so I […]

Kumbaya! New Miami Beach electeds start with unity call

Kumbaya! New Miami Beach electeds start with unity call

New Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine thanked former Mayor Matti Bower and Commissioner Michael Gongora — who he ran a nasty campaign against — for their service to the city. Newly-elected Commissioner Michael Grieco thanked his predecessor, Commissioner Jorge Exposito. And newly-elected Joy Malakoff, who beat Bower in the runoff,  said some words in Spanish […]

Survey says you readers are smart, affluent — and Republican

Survey says you readers are smart, affluent — and Republican

While you can still participate in Political Cotadito’s first ever reader survey, Ladra has already learned something about you, dear readers. More of you are men than women. More of you are college graduates than non-graduates. More of you are U.S.-born (with Cuban-born being a close second). Most of you tune in two to five […]

Open letter dare to Miami Beach’s new Mayor Philip Levine

Open letter dare to Miami Beach’s new Mayor Philip Levine

Dear Mayor Elect Philip Levine: In a matter of hours, you will take your duly elected office as the newly named mayor of Miami Beach and I would like to take this opportunity to extend an olive branch and make some recommendations and requests. I know my words may fall on deaf ears. After all, […]

Joe Martinez Congressional debut: More cake, less ‘punch’

Joe Martinez Congressional debut: More cake, less ‘punch’

It’s not the likeliest of starting points for one of the most closely watched races in the nation. But in shiny, new senior center, in a bright room full of viejitos and political nobodies, former Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez officially launched his 2014 congressional campaign Thursday. It’s “officially” because Martinez has been talking about […]

Miami Beach: Natural transition or political retaliation?

Miami Beach: Natural transition or political retaliation?

Miami Beach Mayor Elect Philip Levine has not even been sworn in yet, and already he is cleaning house at City Hall. It’s natural that the staff in the mayor’s office and the losing incumbents’ offices would change. But the transition seems to be unnecessarily overreaching at least a little bit. The first one on […]

Photo-op: Carlos Gimenez plays turkey with Miami Dolphins

Photo-op: Carlos Gimenez plays turkey with Miami Dolphins

Who is advising Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez these days? No, really. Because on Friday afternoon, our Not So Golden Boy mayor will join none other than the Miami Dolphins — you know, the team he wanted us taxpayers to buy a new stadium for — to give some holiday turkeys to needy families whose kids […]

Joe Martinez formally announces, claims ‘poll’ position

Joe Martinez formally announces, claims ‘poll’ position

It’s not really news that former Miami-Dade County Chairman Joe Martinez is going to run for Congress, even though he is only formally announcing it this morning at a West Dade senior center named after his mother. The news, for many, is that he is going to announce he is the frontrunner in a Republican […]

Miami Beach elections leave no Hispanic representation

Miami Beach elections leave no Hispanic representation

Miami Beach voters went for sweeping change Tuesday, throwing out both incumbents and choosing a fresh face over a longtime activist. But the change was cultural as well as political. Because for the first time in almost 20 years, there is not one single Hispanic elected official to represent the majority of the population in […]

Miami-Dade Dems score another win in non-partisan race

Miami-Dade Dems score another win in non-partisan race

Miami-Dade Democrats can put a third notch on their campaign belt after Tuesday’s win in Miami Beach by Micky Steinberg. Not really a political newcomer as the wife of former State Rep. Richard “Sext Me” Steinberg, who was forced to resign after he was accused of stalking a woman via inappropriate text messages — Micky […]