Everybody who follows politics knows that there are winners and losers beyond those on the ballot. And in every election, it’s good to reflect on who those victors and has-beens are — and, maybe, why.

So, without further ado, a nod to the other winners of the Aug. 20 election — and a nudge to the losers. May they get the gist.

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The most interesting thing about the latest poll released last week by Democrat consultant extraordinaire Christian Ulvert is that he predicts two Republican winners in the Aug. 20 primary.

The poll pits Dariel Fernandez against former state rep and city of Miami Beach commissioner David Richardson in the November general election, and, more interestingly, it has Miami-Dace Police Assistant Chief Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz beating the presumptuous Trooper Joe Sanchez, a former Miami commissioner, for the race against Democrat James Reyes, currently the county’s chief of public safety who has been campaigning with a side arm (more on that later).

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Former State Sen. Annette Taddeo announced Monday that she would run for Miami-Dade County Clerk and Comptroller against Juan Fernandez-Barquin, a former state rep that was appointed to the job by Gov. Ron DeSantis last June.

This completes campaign consultant Christian Ulvert‘s dance card for 2024. He’s got all the five of the big countywide races on his watch. Let’s call it the Ulvert Slate:

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Several political action committees had good quarters at the end of the year, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed in January, ending months of reporting zero contributions in some cases.

Citizens for Justice, a PAC for Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, raised $182,000 between October and November. It hadn’t reported any financial activity since August of 2020. Stuart Miller, co-CEO at Lennar Corporation, gave the biggest gift: $100,000. Real estate developer Michael Wohl gave $20,000 and car mogul Alan Potamkin gave the PAC $25,000, which is more than double the $10K contributed by car mogul Norman Braman. Spice king Joseph Badia gave $10,000.

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As always, the candidates in our local elections are not the only ones who win or lose come Election Day. A bunch of influence peddlers, lobbyists, developers, consultants, environmentalists, preservationists and other special interests will float up with the winners on the ballot, or go down the losers’ proverbial drains.

And this has become somewhat of a tradition on Political Cortadito. So, without further blah blah blah, here are the winners and losers of the Miami 2023 elections.

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The list has 52 names, but the host committee is “still in formation.”

Some important donors got invitations last week to Tuesday’s kickoff for the reelection campaign of “our Miami-Dade County Mayor” Daniella Levine Cava. La Alcalesa herself asks you to join her along with Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert and Commissioners Keon Hardemon, Danielle Cohen Higgins, Eileen Higgins, Kionne McGhee and Micky Steinberg.

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