Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime raised a whopping $77,000 in contributions in March — more than he has in any other single month since he started raising funds in March of last year — bringing his total to nearly $300,000 for his re-election bid. Monestime’s monthly take was the biggest of all the incumbent commissioners up […]
We’ve seen some local political comebacks, lately. Founding Miami Lakes Mayor Wayne Slaton returned to office last year after the former mayor was arrested on bribery charges. Former Homestead Councilman Jeff Porter was elected mayor in that southern city last year after that mayor was arrested on other public corruption charges. In 2011, former Miami […]
It looks like Miami-Dade Carlos Gimenez is trying to get some feedback on the directions and priorities he announced last week at the State of the County address. Not from the people, really, but from the special interests. That’s why he had one of his favorite lobbyists do it. Jorge Luis Lopez, who went to […]
There was the typical crowd at Gwen Cherry Park where First Lady Michelle Obama visited this afternoon to promote her healthy eating initiatives for children. But one atypical attendee stood out: The recently blue former red State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, who very ceremoniously changed parties two weeks ago. Old time blue-hards like Miami-Dade Democratic […]
In his bid to become the Republican candidate for Congressional district 26, former Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez has turned to an odd guru: Sun Tzu, a legendary — if possibly mythical — Chinese military leader who wrote the Art of War as a sort of meditation on the rules of combat about 2,500 years […]
As everyone expected, former Gov. Jeb Bush formally endorsed Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo in his bid for Congress. Bush sent out the “news” on twitter Monday morning. “Proud to endorse @carloslcurbelo for Congress. He’s shown a strong commitment to #edreform &limited gov #FL26,” he chirped. Moments later, Curbelo and his supporters were retweeting […]
It’s [almost] official. And it is a Hispanic after all. The guv and his campaign team must have seen the writing on the wall. Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera is almost assuredly headed off to Tallahassee to be Gov. Rick Scott‘s No. 2, despite the fact that he wasn’t on the shortlist a month ago, […]
As Ladra researched the Miami Beach mayoral elections and talked to dozens of people, one name came up as often as that of the candidates’: Commissioner Jonah “Potty Mouth” Wolfson, un fosforito with possible ethics lapses who is hell bent on getting questionable millionaire jerk Philip Levine elected and is alternately described as Levine’s attack […]
Ladra has to admit: This is not the Diaz I had hoped to see in the 2014 race against State Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez (D-Little Havana). Republican wonderkid and Coral Gables attorney Daniel Diaz Leyva has filed paperwork to run against Rodriguez next year. Naturally, Ladra had hoped for a non-presidential year rematch between J-Rod […]
Miami Lakes Councilman Nelson Hernandez thinks he can win the special mayoral election by lining up support from the Hialeah-Tallahassee mafia, which is throwing him a fundraiser next week. Sen. Rene Garcia, State Reps. Jose Oliva, Eddy “Here Comes Hialeah” Gonzalez and Manny Diaz, Jr., as well as Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bovo have invited […]