UPDATED: Former Miami-Dade Commisioner Juan Zapata has dropped out of the county mayoral election after realizing that a countywide race was more difficult than he thought. He posted his exit on Facebook around 9 a.m: Dear Friends, Regrettably things did not come together the way I would have liked and that a campaign of this […]
It wasn’t a secret. Everyone expected Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who is termed out this year, to run for mayor to replace Carlos Gimenez, who is also termed out, causing an open seat dash. And some of the other wannabes reacted to the announcement better than others. Former Commissioner Juan Zapata, who was the first […]
In her first month of campaign fundraising after announcing her run for 2020 Miami-Dade mayor, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava shows she will be a force to be reckoned with — if not the outright front runner from Day 1. Levine Cava raised almost $230,000, according to her first report from April 2 to April 30. […]
Juan Zapata is still the only official candidate for Miami-Dade mayor in 2020 — and he is making the most of holding all the dance cards: His campaign got a big head start last week with an interview on Univision’s local Channel 23. The former commissioner was interviewed by Erika Carrillo, the same reporter who was […]
With all the recent speculation about Alex Penelas and/or Carlos Curbelo tossing a wrench into what we thought was a battle between heir apparent Esteban Bovo and Sir Xavier Suarez, the people’s knight, for the open mayoral seat in 2020, the first to throw his hat in the ring was none of the above. Former Commissioner Juan […]
When was the last time you got a six figure raise? Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez gets a $100,000-a-year raise, nearly doubling his salary to $250,000-a-year beginning in October, because, well, because he can. As strong mayor, he is his own boss and can apparently decide to give himself a raise whenever he wants. No performance evaluation. […]
It’s not if or when these days in the 305 political world, it’s where. Folks are lining up like ducks to become the next Florida Senator in District 40, after former Sen. Frank Artiles was forced to resign over racist remarks, or maybe the next Congress member from District 27, after longtime veteran U.S. Rep. […]
Could El Zorro come to the rescue again? One of the names being batted around for a special election to replace disgraced former Sen. Frank Artiles — who resigned Friday after making inappropriate and racist comments earlier in the week when speaking to a few colleagues — is his all-time rival and nemesis, former Miami-Dade […]
Newly elected Commissioner Joe Martinez is sort of on a war path. And there is no bigger casualty than former Commissioner Juan Zapata. Martinez has several items on Tuesday’s agenda to start to undo some of the things that Zapata is most proud of from the last four years. Martinez will ask his colleauges to strip […]
A zoning amendment that holds down development in suburban West Kendall neighborhoods could be the swan song for Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Zapata at Tuesday’s county commission meeting — his last, unless they don’t get through the agenda and meet again Thursday (but they should). Zapata, who withdrew his candidacy for re-election after his name was already […]