The Kendall Federation of Homeowners Association will host seven candidate forums between Monday and Tuesday for voters who live in the western part of Miami-Dade.

Last week, the group hosted forums for the county commission race in District 11 and the congressional Democratic primary race in District 26.

Monday’s series focuses on three state races:

• In Senate District 39, The KFHA has gotten confirmation from Senator Dwight Bullard and his challenger, golden trust fund kid Andrew Korge, unless he is arrested before that for the allegations that he tried to bribe Bullard out of the race (more on that later).
• In House District 115, they will have Democrats Ross Hancock and Jeffrey Solomon, who are vying in the primary to go up against State Rep. Michael Bileca in November.
• In House District 118, they have gotten confirmation from everybody except former Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell, who lost a really embarrassing race against Daniella Levine Cava in 2014. That includes former State Rep. and Congressman David Rivera. The other candidates are Carlos Pria, Anthony Rodriguez and Stephen Rojas Tallon. They are all after the seat vacated by State Rep. Frank Artiles, who will face the winner of the primary

Tuesday is for county races, but it appears that Commissioner Dennis Moss is not going to represent. At least he had not confirmed as of Sunday night, said KFHA President Michael Rosenberg. Moss’ challenger, Earl Beaver, is listed.

Read related story: Awkward! Annette Taddeo, Joe Garcia face off with polite jabs

The way it works is that candidates give an introduction and then are there to answer a number of questions before the audience. It does not work like a debate, although the candidates can take turns answering the questions and it did turn out to be debate-like last week between congressional candidates Annette Taddeo and former U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia.

The other forums Tuesday are:

• School Board Member Lubby Navarro — a lobbyist who has never been elected because she was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to replace lobbyist Carlos Curbelo when he became a congressman — and her challenger Aster Mohammed, who unfortunately doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance on South Beach.
• Speaking of snowballs, Miami-Dade mayoral candidate Farid Khavari, who has lost this contest twice, getting 0.4 percent in 2011 and 0.85 percent in 2012. He must be encouraged by the doubling of his support! He insisted on a chance to address the audience since Raquel Regalado got the opportunity last week. Mayor Carlos Gimenez snubbed the group and has declined several debate requests (more on that later).
• In the race for Kendall’s Community Council 12, sub-area 124, three candidates want to fill out what is probably the busiest of the zoned zoning boards.  Angela Vazquez, who is currently the incumbent and chair of the council, is being challenged by Christopher Leon and Frank de la Paz.

The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Kendall Village Center ‘Civic Pavilion, 8625 SW 124 Ave., right in front of the movie theater.

Let’s face it, the big draw here is going to be the Bullard vs. Korge fight, which Ladra suggests the KFHA present as the last forum, to keep the audience there. And the undercover agents.

Unless Lynda Bell decides to make an appearance. She could steal the show.

Death leaves Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, now unopposed, with four more years

Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson has been de facto re-elected this week after her sole challenger, former El Portal Mayor Daisy Black — and Edmonson’s longtime nemesis — died suddenly and unexpectedly Wednesday.

Details on the cause of death were still unknown Thursday, but Black was rushed to the Hialeah Hospital after she collapsed Wednesday during a typical candidate screening with the AFL-CIO union. According to sources and published reports, an off-duty firefighter at the screening performed CPR. She apparently died later that day.

Black, 68, had challenged Edmonson in what was going to be one of two interesting commission races (the other one is District 11 in West Dade where former Commissioner Joe Martinez has challenged Commissioner Juan Zapata).

Read related story: Three county commissioners coast, but four draw challengers

Edmonson, who joins the other three commissioner re-elected sans opposition, issued a statement Thursday that shows their tense relationship was not as important as Black’s many contributions to the community and dedicated activism.

“It is with a heart full of sadness that I share in the collective shock of this community as we begin the process of accepting the passing of the Honorable Daisy Black, former Mayor of the Village of El Portal,” said Edmonson. “My continuous prayers are with her beloved family and friends. Daisy, a true public servant and dedicated elected official, will be missed by so many.  Her family and friends need our support and understanding and their privacy to reflect on their memories of one of South Florida’s finest civil rights leaders.”

Sen. Dwight Bullard, chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, posted a statement on Facebook: “Today the candle went out on the life of a woman that has inspired myself and countless others. Mayor Daisy Black was an incredible leader and fixture in the Democratic Party. She made Miami-Dade County a better place to live by her mere presence and will be so missed by me and those who were blessed to know her. Please lift her family up in prayer.”

Her own Facebook page was quickly filled with photos and posts from shocked friends, other electeds and candidates and activists.

“I count myself blessed to have known you, Mayor Daisy Black,” wrote Darren Martin. “You were amongst the few mentors I had at the Miami-Dade DEC and, while you always had an open ear as I told you about my big dreams and wanting to one day work at the DNC or the White House, you constantly reminded me of the importance of being active in the local party and being an advocate for Miami – and, more importanty, the people who lived there. They sure lost a giant today – and we all lost a friend.”

“I am devastated! Heart Broken,” wrote Daniel Sohn, a non-profit consultant running for mayor of Dania Beach. “My good friend Mayor Daisy Black (MORE LIKE FAMILY) passed away doing what she did best- Serving her community… Daisy was the first elected official to endorse me when I announced my race for Mayor in Dania Beach and the first person to write a check. For that reason I called her “MY MAYOR”… Daisy taught me how to fundraise. Since then, I’ve gotten much better at it. She told me she loved me many a time and I her! Although she touched many lives across the state, we here in South Florida were the luckiest to live among her. Her presence made everything better…Daisy would have wanted all of us to unite during election season. I think it’s time we did. I will miss her greatly and hope once elected to be as half the leader and caring human she was.”

“My heart goes out to the family of ‘Mayor’ Daisy Black,” wrote Desmond Meade. “I along with countless others greatly benefited from her wisdom, presence, and support. She was an ardent supporter of our efforts to restore voting rights, and a champion for human right and dignity. As she was a fierce advocate for others, I will sorely miss her and her contagious smile. RIP Daisy. You left your mark on this earth.”

A 2008 field organizer for Barrack Obama in Liberty City also wrote on her wall. “One of the first people to approach me about helping get an office was Daisy Black,” said Karen Andre. “She organized with me in the back of the McDonalds on 62nd St until we finally got an office. On that day, I handed her the keys to open the office doors. From August 2008, until Election Day, Daisy was there EVERY SINGLE DAY for 4 months. She did Voter Reg, phone banking, data entry, volunteer training, GOTV, modeling wisdom and dedication, the whole time. I couldn’t have made it without her and I count myself blessed to have her guiding me. Her legacy of selfless devotion to the community is undeniable. Just this year, she gave up her chance to be a delegate at the Dem convention so that a young person could go. That’s the essence of Daisy, paving the way for others. May you rest in eternal peace knowing you were a good and faithful servant.”

From former Hialeah Councilwoman Carmen Caldwell, director of Miami-Dade’s Crime Watch: “Our thoughts and prayers to the family of Mayor Daisy Black, she was a true champion and a supporter of Neighborhood Watch in her City. She truly made a difference in El Portal. It was such a pleasure working with her all these years. She will be missed tremendously. Rest in peace my friend.”

Miami-Dade Community Council Member Johnny Farias called her his political godmother. “I will miss you so much. You were and will always be an inspiration to me. I was honored to know you and have you as a close friend. And I thank God that on Saturday I was able to hug and talk with you. You told me how proud I made you for winning the Council Elect Seat 15. You were loved by many and will be missed dearly, RIP Daisy.”

“We sat together two days ago at a candidate event,” wrote Daisy Baez, who is running for state House in District 114. “Once again we joked about picking up the wrong name tag at events because of our similar names! You were the first elected official to reach out to me and to attend my first fundraising event. I will never forget that. See you again some day.”

RIP Daisy Black. You made political life in the 305 more interesting, apparently, for everybody. We are sorry to see you go too soon.

Like a leapfrog, Andrew Korge jumped yet again this week from the Senate race in District 39 against Anitere Flores to District 40, where he has a primary battle against incumbent Sen. Dwight Bullard and former State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan.

Korge has been shopping around for elected office since he first expressed interest in Gwen Margolis‘ seat. In fact, it’s odd that he didn’t go back to that seat himself when Margolis decided to retire. From there, he has jumped over to the congressional race against Annette Taddeo and then again to the Senate race with Flores.

Sure, District 40 has a slightly bigger Dem advantage and Flores was a crossover leading in the polls. But while Frank Artiles, the Republican he’d face in November, is an easier target than Flores, he’s got to get through August first.

And that’s if he doesn’t get buyer’s remorse between now and then.

And he might. And he should.

After news came out — first in the Sunshine State News then in the Miami Herald and tomorrow on every political tabloid show there is — that Korge tried to bribe Bullard off the ballot with a $25,000 payola, it’s going to be hard for voters to look at the trust fund kid with any kind of credulity again. His campaign is sorta over before it even began.

I mean, sure the Korges are used to throwing money at politicians and getting what they want. But this time what Kid Korge wanted was the pol’s job. And that’s kind of crossing the line. Nana nina.

Korge has denied the bribe but we all know what happened here. Because it happens all the time. He probably promised to put $25,000 in Bullard’s campaign if he moved it to another district.

With a bank of almost $400,000 — that’s just his campaign, not including any PACs — and the ability to raise half a million more if necessary, one has to wonder what other kind of political strategy Korge will employ now to get elected (read: watch the ABs).

We all know that Frank Artiles plans to run for the Senate against incumbent Dwight Bullard.

The question is “Why?” He has another term in the House left so why would he risk a sure thing for a seat that that went to President Barack Obama by 7 points in 2012?

Well, because redistricted seat 40 may be more Democrat, bu it is also waaaaay more Hispanic, with a 74 percent Latino vote pool. And it includes a little of the area once represented by Sen. Anitere Flores, who promised to move after she and Bullard were drawn into the same district and will instead run for a newly created open seat (District 39; because the numbers play musical chairs, too).

That’s why former State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan was in Tallahassee last month, talking to folks about running in that seat against Artiles. Bullard knows he’s vulnerable. Several sources confirmed that Bullard has been approached about stepping down and letting Rivas Logan take on Artiles. And they all say he same thing: He has an emotional attachment to the seat, which belonged to his mother, the late Sen. Larcenia Bullard, who died in 2013. He sort of inherited her seat in 2012 (though he beat off four other Dems, including former State Reps. Ron Saunders and James Bush, III) like he inherited his dad’s House seat before that.

It’s a pride thing. And it could become a black thing. His has been an African American legislative seat at least since 2002, only one of two black Senate seats in the 305.

Bullard, who replaced Annette Taddeo as chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, might think he has a good chance to defend himself in a district that voted last time for Obama by 54 percent. But Obama is not on the ballot this year and black voters may not turn out as heavily for Hillary. Everyone is worried about that. And half of the district’s Democrat voters are Hispanics anyway. Artiles could peel some off there. Most likely, however, he’ll grab a bunch of the Hispanic independents, enough to make a difference.

The newly redistricted seat represents South Miami Heights, West Perrine, Richmond Heights, Fairway Heights, Howard, Country Walk and West Kendall. It also includes portions of the Westchester, Cutler Bay, South Miami and Coral Gables.

There’s also this: Artiles won his old district (which used to be Bullard’s old House district) which went to Obama with 51% in 2012, by double digits against a Democrat in 2014 — albeit a Democrat nobody and on an off, non-presidential year. But Gov. Rick Scott only got 49 percent of the vote there, so Artiles got 8 percent more votes than the Republican at the top of the ticket.

Trust me, Artiles did not give up his likely re-election to the House for his last term with full tenure if he didn’t have a poll that shows what consultants call a path to victory for a coveted Senate seat.

He has also shown a better knack for raising campaign funds, accumulating a total of almost $800,000 between his campaign and his PAC, Veterans for Conservative Principles, since 2012. Bullard raised $85,000 for his 2012 race.

Is defending the Bullard legacy worth the risk of losing a Democratic seat in the Senate? Especially against Magilla Gorilla? A man who is best known for punching a college kid in the face, pushing a law that regulates bathroom use and living outside his district? That’s what state party leaders are grappling with.

Rivas Logan told Ladra that yes, she had, indeed been in Tally last month talking to interested parties (read: the Democratic Party) about running again, but she said there were a number of seats discussed — and for both 2016 and 2018, which is conveniently when she retires as assistant principal at Robert Morgan Technical High, where she prepares seniors for college and life after high school.

“All the pieces line up for me in 2018,” said the one-time Miami-Dade School Board member, coyly leaving the door open for Bullard to bail: “However, should something become available that is a good fit, I would seriously consider it.”

There it is. She’s just waiting for Dwight to make a difficult decision.

Meanwhile, the party keeps grooming her for something. That’s why you see Rivas Logan commenting on immigration policy on MSNBC and Spanish-language TV or why she delivered a message to the audience at the Democratic debate at Miami-Dade earlier this month. That choice — she spoke right after Florida Democrati Party Chair Allison Tant and before DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz — says something about their confidence in and hope for her, because she’s really only been a Democrat for about five minutes.

Last time, Rivas Logan held office, she was a Republican House rep. But a falling out over immigration policy and the fact that the party went with State Rep. Jose Felix Diaz against her when they were drawn into the same district sort of put the ice on that.

Wouldn’t it be just so Florida and like the 305 if Diaz, who is termed out next cycle, faced Rivas Logan again in a 2018 Senate race?

I said it first.