And could his daughter-in-law run to succeed him?
The rumors are rampant. Will Congressman Carlos Gimenez run for city of Miami mayor?
While he is enjoying el protagonismo of the national limelight, with regular spots on cable news networks to bash Joe Biden and China or to gush over Elon Musk, Gimenez hasn’t been tapped by President Donald Trump for any ambassadorship or cabinet position. There was an expectation he would be. Some political observers said, months ago, that Gimenez pretty much had “carte blanche to choose” where he wanted to go. But he hasn’t gone anywhere. The DOGE task force doesn’t count. It was an afterthought.
Meanwhile, Marco Rubio gets not one, but two titles! Not just Secretary of State but national security advisor, too. Does he get both salaries (all tied up in one check, of course)?
And this, after Gimenez has stood solidly by Trump the entire time — still does — and has been rightfully blasted for being un lambón. Most recently, Gimenez has been among the targets of a billboard campaign that calls him out for abandoning his immigrant-rich community and acting as un servil to a dictator.
Read related: Video blasts U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez for silence on ending TPS, deportations
Could what might be seen as a snub have changed the congressman’s appetite for Washington?

Miami is so much closer to home and his wife and his kids and his grandkids. And it’s where he started his political career as a firefighter and later as city manager. Some people, including several close to him, say Gimenez — whose name has been included in a number of polls — wouldn’t mind coming full circle, especially if he can be cast as the one who saves Miami from the fiery depths of hell.
He would certainly become an instant frontrunner among the field of current candidates, which includes Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, all of whom have opened campaign candidates and filed candidate oaths. Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla are campaigning, but have not yet filed any official paperwork. The deadline to qualify is in September.
People close to his family have said that Gimenez is, indeed, considering it and will make up his mind by June.
But, then again, there’s the certainty and longevity he enjoys now. Gimenez is a sure thing in his congressional district. He can rule there for life if he wants to. A Miami election would be a risk, even if a small one, and come with term limits. Of course, at the age of 70, term limits seem relative.
Read related: Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins could join Miami Mayor’s race
There’s so much speculation about this, however, that the rumor mill has stretched into the musings of who might replace him. Some say that State Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez is ready to step in. She seems the heir apparent. People know her. She served a term in the Florida House before becoming a senator in 2020 and she was a Doral council member before that. Her District 40 encompasses much of Gimenez’s District 28 (formerly the 26th). She’s practically a shoe in — and this is just a rumor.
Other possible hopefuls are State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras or Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who is fresh off his far-right fluoride fight victory, getting his colleagues to override the county mayor’s veto of the removal of fluoride from the water, which is something he championed before the Florida Legislature passed its own statewide ban. But this is totally out of his league.
Both Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and campaign operative Tania Cruz Gimenez like to wear their sunglasses on their heads.
Another name whispered about — mostly in horror — is Tania Cruz-Gimenez, the super smart, former Democrat attorney turned Republican campaign consultant who just happens to be the daughter-in-law of the current congressman. Cruz-Gimenez, who lost a Coral Gables commission race in 2021, helped Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz win the historic constitutional election last November with 56% of the vote, but lost last month with Claudia Miro, a Gables commission candidate that lost along with her in 2021 (Cruz Gimenez did better than Miro with 14% to 8% in a crowded field ultimately won by Gables Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson).
She is now working with Denise Galvez Turros, a marketing professional and co-founder of Latinas for Trump, who is running for Miami Commission in District 3. Galvez Turros lost a bid for city commission in District 4 in 2017.
Read related: Denise Galvez Turros announces she’ll run for Miami Commission in District 3
In 2017, Cruz-Gimenez also helped Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo defend himself against a residency challenge from Alfie Leon, who lost the race by 252 votes, and essentially keep the seat he has since used repeatedly to abuse his office since. In 2020, she mounted a recall against Carollo, in part out of a guilty conscience, but that failed after the city contested it in court, saying they were filed hours late.
Cruz-Gimenez responded to Ladra in a text asking if I was crazy, with one of my favorite expletives thrown in. “Is that rumor really circling,” she asked, via text. Subsequent efforts to reach her about it have been unsuccessful.
So, that’s not a no.
And people think a potential run is why she so dramatically swore allegiance to the Republican Party with House Speaker Mike Johnson at a fundraiser in late February, where someone just happened to have a bible. Everyone laughed when she renounced the Democratic Party and swore “full support to the America First agenda and the seven core principles of conservatism.”
Those were listed out loud: “Individual liberty, limited government, rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets and human dignity.”
Really? Because at least six of the seven seem to be dismissed by our current POTUS. Maybe an argument could be made that he’s ignored all seven.
There were photos and video taken that could very easily find themselves on a mailer to voters or in TV ads. Giddily enjoying the performative moment next to her are the congressman, his wife and his namesake son, Carlos “CJ” Gimenez, who is married to Cruz-Gimenez and just does not make as good a candidate.
You don’t have to swear allegiance to anything or anyone when you switch parties from Democrat to Republican, or vice versa, as has been trending lately. The only reason to do go through such theatrics would be to raise your profile, and, perhaps, bank some campaign material.
But it would still be a tough primary against Rodriguez, even with an endorsement from the congressman. Or mayor of Miami.
The post Will he or won’t he? Congressman Carlos Gimenez for Miami mayor? appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Condo reform, critical race theory, abortion and more

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A pair of South Florida legislators — one Democrat, the other Republican — are trying again to allow for the installation of speed cameras to enforce the limit in school zones.

The effort died last year but Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Doral) — whose bill passed committee Thursday — and State Rep. Nick Duran (D-Miami) have made changes in how the citation revenue is distributed between the state and the local municipal agencies enforcing the law.

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It started good at the top of the ticket. Then, ouch.
Was former Sen. Bill Nelson and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum actually winning with absentee ballots? Because early results had them just over 50.
Even Jeffrey “Doc” Solomon had 525 votes over newly-elected State Rep. Vance Aloupis, right, who ended up winning by 591 votes.
But that feeling of rising hope quickly turned to disbelief and dread when the blue wave turned into a wipeout after Gov. Elect Ron DeSantis and former Gov. and Senator elect Rick Scott turned it around.
We had a few bright spots where the wave did crash nicely.
Democrats gained two seats in Congress, with the election of Donna Shalala over Republican Maria Elvira Salazar (though not as solid as she should have) and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell‘s stunning victory over Carlos Curbelo. That’s a bright silver lining for Ladra that we will come back to.
And Ladra’s favorite new elected, mom gone mad Cindy Polo beat back former Miami Lakes Councilman Frank Mingo in District 103. That was a tremendous upset as Polo, right, was underfunded and losing in Miami-Dade, 56 to 44 percent. The voters in Broward — because the district also includes Miramar — saved us flipping those numbers so she won 53 to 47 percent.
But locally, Polo was it. Democrats failed everywhere else.
While Miami-Dade was overwhelmingly pro Gillum and pro Nelson — they won the 305 each with about 60% of the vote — and Democrats were able to defend Sen. Annette Taddeo from a challenge by Republican superwoman Marili Cancio (next time, Marili, don’t attack with lies about Taddeo and the NRA and talk about your own achievements), they let another Senate bid die and lost several opportunities to gain Florida House seats — even letting one flip red in District 118.
Former State Rep. Robert Asencio became a one-term legislator probably because he was too busy trying to help everybody else and didn’t campaign enough to keep his own seat. Granted, it was definitely an upset surprise for Anthony Rodriguez, who lost the primary two years ago to King David “Nine Lives” Rivera, to beat him ever so slightly, 51% to 49%.
The same narrow win gave Doral Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez a seat in the House, replacing Ambassador Carlos Trujillo in District 105, beating Javier Estevez by a scant 560 votes. Democrats are used to voting for Ana Maria, right, that gap was expected to be even wider, but only because the party invested zero time and money in this flippable district.
The real pain comes with what happened up north, where special interest favorite State Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. beat firefighter hero David Perez for the Senate seat in 36 vacated by Rene Garcia (who will run for county commissioner in two years).
Now we heal and rest until next year when it’s time to gear up for 2020. Maybe Democrats will figure something out between now and then.

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The Kendall Federation of Homeowners Associations has yet another candidate forum, the second of three this month, Wednesday night. This one features the head-to-head contests in three House districts.
In House District 105, Democrat Javier Estevez is going up against Doral Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez for the seat vacated by State Rep. turned Ambassador Carlos Trujillo.
The incumbent is Republican and Rodriguez has had Dems vote for her in Doral and $278,000 in campaign contributions, which is about 45 times as much as Estevez raised. Even though she has spent all but about $20,000 to get into the general, Estevez better take advantage of this forum because she has access to more money.
Read related: KFHA candidate forum features Kendall Senate and two state races
In House District 116, Republican incumbent State Rep. Daniel Perez, who has had to win three elections in less than 18 months, will defend himself a fourth time against Democrat James Harden, who hasn’t even had a primary.
Harden is also at a huge disadvantage not only because of his name — Ladra doesn’t think the Eileen Higgins phenomenon is going to repeat in Westchester — and financially, with only $5,960 raised compared to $209,550 raised by Perez.
In House District 119, left open by termed out State Rep. Jeanette Nunez, there are two newbies: Democrat Heath Rassner and Republican Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who pulled an upset beating Analeen “Annie” Martinez, the commissioner’s kid.
Read related: Primary election brings few surprises, leaving general on hook
Still, that took nearly his whole $174,000 nut (including the $30K he loaned himself) and Fernandez-Barquin’s got about $20,000 left — which is still more than three times what Rassner has left. Rassner raised $13,000, but he spent almost $7,000 already as well.
It looks like the Democrats blew it again, putting no-name candidates with very little money or momentum in state races that could have been competitive and could have been carried in a blue wave but likely won’t be now.
Voters can make up their own minds at the KFHA forum that begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Civic Pavilion in the Kendall Village shopping center.

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Setting up a GOP primary with Doral councilwoman

No this is not an April Fool’s joke.

Former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera is nothing if not persistent.

And you never know where he’s going to turn up next.

Rivera — who lost his congressional seat in 2012 to Joe Garcia and then lost a Republican primary in 2014 to get his seat back then lost his bid to return to the Florida House last year — announced last week that he would run in a different House district: 105, where Rep. Carlos Trujillo is termed out in 2018.

He must think that’s an easier win in Doral than a rematch with State Rep. Robert Asencio, the retired school board cop and public labor advocate who beat Rivera last year in such a tight race that there was a manual recount. Asencio won by a scant 53 votes (originally it was 68 and Ladra has to wonder if a second recount would have found the gap closer). Many political observers were certain we would see a rematch in 2018, as Rivera had said to some of us that Asencio would be there to keep the seat warm, unable to get anything done in a minority.

Read related story: David Rivera collects petition signatures for 2016 state House run

But this week, Rivera filed the paperwork announcing his candidacy in 105, which is an open seat since the incumbent is termed out. He already has an opponent in the primary, however. Doral Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez filed in December and has already raised $12,000.

“A lot of people were asking me what I was going to do after I was termed out in 2018 and I’d like to continue serving,” Rodriguez told Ladra Friday. And she’s not backing off just ’cause King Nine Lives wants his old seat back.

“He has the right to run. I’m kind of surprised he’s running in this district, but he has every right,” Rodriguez said, adding that she will keep her campaign clean and positive. They are both Republicans and have been friendly. Both serve on the Miami-Dade Republican Committee. Here they pose for a photo together at the Jose Feliciano concert dinner for Lighthouse for the Blind in 2011. No, it was not a date. That’s her husband, Clemente Canabal, on her right (our left).

“I’m going to be transparent as always and focus on the issues that matter,” Rodriguez told me in a telephone interview after the mother of two had finished washing the dinner dishes at home. “I’m going to run on my merits, on my accomplishments, on my record.”

Read related story: Doral councilman succeeds in ousting clerk — now what?

Among those accomplishments was starting the local conversation about paternal leave. Doral was the first Miami-Dade municipality to pass the parental leave ordinance, sponsored by Rodriguez, that gives employees four weeks paid for childbirth. Other cities have used it as a model.

She was also able to pass a workforce housing ordinance last year that provides an incentive bonus for developers to build affordable housing in booming Doral.

And, until order was restored in last year’s election results, she was known by many as the “voice of reason” at council meetings — the only elected in Doral not embroiled in some kind of political drama at some point or another. That’s got to be worth something in Tallahassee.

If she wants to go negative, however, the councilwoman has plenty of fodder.

Rivera, who did not return a call and a text message Friday, has been dogged by headlines about an alleged criminal investigation into whether or not he propped up and financed a plantidate against Garcia in 2012. But federal prosecutors have not charged him with anything or questioned him about anything — and the statute of limitations is going to end this year.

So could Rivera finally be able to campaign on something as positive as vindication?