Former State House Rep. and Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson, a Democrat who lost last year’s tax collector race, filed paperwork on Wednesday to run for Miami-Dade Commission in District 5, where Eileen Higgins sits now. Higgins announced earlier this month that she was going to run for Miami mayor.
Richardson, who did not make any public announcement or issue any press release on his candidacy, told Political Cortadito in a text message late Thursday that he would talk about it on Friday.
Higgins announced her candidacy on April 2, about an hour or so after it was posted on Political Cortadito that she intended to do so. She has joined a crowded field of declared candidates that include former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, perennial candidates Max Martinez, Michael Hepburn and June Savage, and someone named Ijamyn Joseph Gray. Not declared but campaigning anyway are Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla. Who knows? There may be a surprise.
“I love this city, and I’m running for Mayor to get things done — because I believe in the power of public service to improve people’s lives,” Higgins said in a statement. “From affordable housing to transit to thriving small businesses, I’ve delivered results that matter. As Mayor, I’ll continue doing what I’ve always done: listening to our community, solving problems, and making sure Miami works for everyone who calls our city home.
“Our residents want a city where they can build a future, raise a family, and count on local government to get the job done – that’s the leadership I bring,” she continued. “As your County Commissioner, I’ve been proud to fight for our community and deliver real results. Now, I’m ready to bring that momentum to City Hall – clearing obstacles for residents and small businesses, and creating a city that’s affordable, connected, and full of opportunity.”
Read related: Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins could join Miami Mayor’s race
Lots of names have been kicked around as potential replacements for Higgins on the county dais. In addition to Richardson, las malas lenguas say there could be interest from former Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, who lost the Republican primary for Miami-Dade Sheriff last year, and former Pinecrest Councilwoman Anna Hochkammer, executive director of Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition — a political committee focused on reproductive rights — who recently moved into the district with her boyfriend, former Congressman Joe Garcia.
Richardson was first elected to the Florida House in 2012, one of the first two openly gay members of the legislature (the other was Joe Saunders of Orlando). In 2014, Richardson was re-elected to his second term in the legislature without opposition. In 2016, he got 64% of the vote in a district that was 60% Hispanic. In 2019, he was elected city commissioner in Miami Beach.
In between he bounced around with attempts to run for state senate and for state House again in a redrawn district.
Last Nov. 5, Richardson, a forensic accountant by profession, lost the tax collector’s race to Dariel Fernandez, who won with 56%, in what was really a Trump Train for the Republican candidates in all the constitutional offices. His consultant is Christian Ulvert, who is also the campaign and political consultant for Eileen Higgins, keeping it all in the family.
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The post David Richardson seeks to replace Eileen Higgins on county commission appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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It’s been talked about for months, but Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins is widely expected to make an announcement any day now that she’s going to run for Miami mayor this November. And it’s crazy for a number of reasons.
If this had been before former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell announced that he would run for mayor, it might be welcome news. Miami voters needed a qualified and viable alternative to the possibility of Commissioner Joe Carollo or, God forbid, former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla becoming the mayor. But now they have one. And if Higgins and Russell both run, they’re going to divide the non-Hispanic, Democrat and coastal community votes, where both are strong.
Handing the victory over to one of the aforementioned crooks.
But many people are shaking their heads anyway. La Gringa? Mayor of Miami?
Read related: Recycling in Miami: Frank Carollo and Ken Russell on the November ballot
Observers say she has no chance. Miami hasn’t elected a non-Hispanic to mayor in decades. The last one was Stephen P. Clark in 1993. Russell’s chances are also slim. They’re higher because of his institutional knowledge and involvement in Miami issues. But he’s still going to be an underdog. Higgins would be a a flea on the underdog.
They can’t campaign against each other. Higgins and Russell align on possibly every issue — affordable housing, transit, environmental concerns, good government. They’re just going to draw from the same pool and split the vote.
And La Gringa, a nickname given to her during her first Miami-Dade run and which she has come to embrace, would leave a crucial hole on the county commission if she were to resign to run for mayor of Miami. She’s a senior on the county dais, very strong, with almost four years left in her term and a good position to run for county mayor in 2028 (or 2026 if Daniella Levine Cava leaves to run for something else).
That hole Higgins would leave would likely be filled by a Republican Hispanic. Think former Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, or maybe one of the DLP brothers wants to try for the same seat again (she has beaten both ADLP and his brother Renier Diaz de la Portilla). The commission is currently 7-6 with a Dem majority. A change would definitely change dynamics. We can see the county becoming more MAGA before our very eyes, especially with Tuesday’s vote to end adding fluoride to our drinking water (more on that later).
Higgins has certain influence on the commission as the senior member. She is the longtime chair of the transportation committee and is now vice chair of the infrastructure, innovation and technology committee. She is also Levine Cava’s biggest ally. And a friend to labor, environmental groups and progressives.
These same groups balked when Higgins considered a congressional run in 2022 — which would have also pit her against Russell in the Democratic primary — only to withdraw six days later. They do not like what they hear now.
“I really wish she wouldn’t do that,” said Jeffrey Mitchell, president of the local AFL-CIO and a national transit union leader. “Not because she wouldn’t make a good mayor of Miami, but because she just won her election and we need her on the county commission.
“That would leave a gap and who would fill it? Nobody good,” Mitchell said.
Read related: Surprise Eileen Higgins ‘withdrawal’ in CD27 raises questions, causes confusion
So why on Earth would Higgins consider this? Or is she being pushed by someone like, say, her campaign consultant Christian Ulvert, who doesn’t have a lot of work this year and needs something to do. Plus, he could also run another one of his candidates for the county commission seat, like former Pinecrest Councilwoman Anna Hochkammer, who recently moved into the district with her boyfriend, former Congressman Joe Garcia. Does Hochkammer — executive director of Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition, a political committee focused on reproductive rights — meet the residency requirement?
If Higgins announces a run, she can raise money for her political action committee– she can raise tons because she is an elected and people depend on her vote — then when September comes, and the deadline for to resign to run, she could drop out and take the funds raised into a future mayoral race in Miami-Dade, which sounds more possible. Is that the end game here?
Higgins did not return a call or text to her phone. Ulvert hasn’t returned any either. They must know that we know what they’re about to announce.
Neither Carollo nor Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who is reportedly already campaigning and asking for money, have filed any paperwork on their effort to run for mayor, according to the city’s website. Russell has. So have perennial candidates Max Martinez, Michael Hepburn and June Savage. Someone named Ijamyn Joseph Gray. Still in the wings is former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez and longtime Brickell Homeowner Association President Ernesto Cuesta, who admits to having been encouraged by several business leaders. Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado has also been mentioned in favorability polls.
There is still time for someone else to show up. Qualifying isn’t until September.
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The post Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins could join Miami Mayor’s race appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Miami can’t be trusted to run their own show.

Just as the city of Miami grapples with the issue of giant LED billboards on public land in the downtown, Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins wants to take away the municipality’s ability to opt out of the county’s sign regulations.

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Kase-who?

Miami-Dade Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to give the naming rights to the former American Airlines Arena — which, admit it, is what everybody still calls it even after it became the FTX Arena — to a local cybersecurity software company that almost nobody ever heard of before.

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One member called the proposed amendments a ‘power grab’

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One member called the proposed amendments a ‘power grab’

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