The first mayoral forum for the candidates in Doral Tuesday seemed to indicate an early frontrunner in what Ladra suspects will become one of the most hotly-contested (read: ugly and negative) races of this bloated year. Former School Board member Frank Bolaños — whose last bid for office was characterized by negative campaigning that backfired […]
Political Miami was abuzz Monday with news that local Dems had found their great hype hope to pit against U.S. Rep. David “9 Lives” Rivera, who Ladra has publicly called the Teflon Man and had considered, perhaps, the most unbeatable incumbent in our midst — until now. Maybe. Not because some unknown businesswoman (one headline […]
Maybe the third time is the charm. Candidate Paul Crespo, who has been running in the race for House seat in 102 for almost two years since losing to U.S. Rep. David Rivera in the 2010 primary, is testing the waters to see if he should move his campaign closer to home –to district 112. […]
Miami-Dade’s large delegation of incumbents in the state House are scrambling to keep their jobs post redistricting and that means a change of address for some who are suddenly facing an ally and friend inside newly-drawn boundaries. But it looks like Rep. Frank Artiles (Rep., District 119) will not be one of those who has […]
While state house legislators and challenging candidates scramble to move into convenient or out of inconvenient newly-redrawn districts (more on that next), the clock ticks on a final Senate district map that has been accused, and rightfully so, of still protecting some incumbents, including Sen. Gwen Margolis (Dem., District 35) in these parts. It will […]
While there are five Miami-Dade School Board seats on the ballot this year, only one of the contests so far seems like it could be a real schoolyard fight. Three incumbents — Wilbert Holloway, Martin Karp and Larry Feldman (Ladra’s district member) — are so far unopposed (more on that later). One campaign lost its […]
After about a half dozen or so empty threats to get cease and desist letters from one angry and unethical political operative who I keep exposing, Ladra finally got one last month. But not from an expected source. No, it was from an old friend, which makes it worse. Hialeah hunk and secret agent political […]
Manny Diaz, Jr., a longtime teacher who has been campaigning for 15 months to run for a state House seat, wants you to know that he is not going to pull out of the race now — even if he has to face a more experienced legislator whose family dynasty is the stuff of political […]
Miami-Dade Commissioner “Mayor Sir” Xavier Suarez is likely not going to run for county mayor, despite early indications he would consider it. That’s what most of those close to him say, anyway. But he won’t put the rumor to rest as long as he can use it to light a fire under Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s, […]
While homegrown actor Andy Garcia hosts a fundraiser for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Jeb Bush stumps for U.S. Rep. Connie Mack‘s senatorial bid, Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi had to settle for a lot less star power: Hialeah Mayor Carlos “The Rock” Hernandez and his Lakes council faction, er, I mean colleagues at […]