Even before Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins officially threw her hat in the ring for the Miami mayoral race, the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee was sending out text messages linking the front-running Republican candidate, former City Manager Emilio González, to Donald Trump.
Then Tuesday, a day after Higgins submitted her resign-to-run resignation at the county, the Republican Party of Miami-Dade came out with a social media post that links her to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who has served since 2021 as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district, based in Queens. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, he is the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election.
There’s that word: Socialist. Miami voters are in for a brutal campaign season.
And if you think it is too early for partisan politics to be creeping in, remember that there are just over two months until Election Day Nov. 4.
Read related: Eileen Higgins officially resigns Miami-Dade seat to run for Miami mayor
First blood was drawn by the Dems, warning that Gonzalez could be “Miami’s first MAGA mayor.” It cites a Washington Times story from June that calls him a surrogate for Donald Trump.
Gonzalez says he is going to be a mayor for all the people, Democrats included. But there’s no denying his red stripes. He worked in the George W. Bush administration running U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and then returned to Miami-Dade, where he served as CEO of Miami International Airport before coming to Miami as city manager.
He emerged as a major critic of President Joe Biden immigration policy and became a founding member of Veterans for Trump, a bilingual surrogate for candidate Trump, a transition team member for the President-elect and was just named a senior fellow at the Trump-connected America First Policy Institute.
And, most importantly, he was the closest behind Higgins in an internal poll announced by her campaign earlier this month. She led with a high 36%, followed by Gonzalez with 15% and former Commissioner Ken Russell, a onetime Democratic candidate for congress, clocked in at 12%. He’s so far sitting pretty, avoiding any attacks as Emilio and Eileen duke it out.
Not to be outdone, the Miami Republicans posted on their Instagram account a response to the two texts against Gonzalez.
“The Miami-Dade Democratic Party and their candidate Eileen Higgins are running scared — and for good reason. They know voters are fed up with their record of higher taxes, reckless spending, government waste, and misplaced priorities,” reads the message posted Monday. “Instead of defending their failed record, they’ve resorted to smear campaigns and desperate attacks against Republican candidates.
“Miami families deserve honesty and leadership, not fear mongering and political games,” they wrote.
Read related: Poll has Eileen Higgins in Miami mayoral runoff with Emilio Gonzalez
But the very next day, they couldn’t resist to succumb to fear mongering and political games, posting a photo collage of Higgins and Mamdani with a warning: “Miami is a refuge for New Yorkers seeking liberty and freedom. Now, Miami faces the same future as New York City if Eileen Higgins @eileenformiami becomes mayor in November. We cannot afford to turn over our city to a radical liberal lunatic.”
Seriously? Can you say hypocrite?
This year’s Miami mayoral election is going to be a doozy. Help Ladra cover all the angles with a contribution today to Political Cortadito and its signature independent watchdog journalism. Thank you for your support!
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Town manager, council member say it won’t be 36%
The Miami Lakes Town Council has set a tentative property tax rate for next year — and brace yourself, Lakers, because it’s higher than anything you’ve seen in nearly a decade. The new ceiling? It’s 2.6372 mills, or $2.63 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. That’s before all the exemptions, of course.
That’s a whopping 36%  increase and, according to the Miami-Dade property appraiser, it’s the second highest tax rate hike after Pinecrest (more on that later).
But don’t freak out yet. Council members swear this is just a “placeholder” while they sharpen their pencils and poke around the $24.9 million proposed budget to see if they can trim a little fat or scare up some new revenue before the September hearings. And the administration has already found enough savings to cut the originally proposed tax rate.
That’s going to be the good news presented at a budget workshop Wednesday night. But Ladra bets it’s still gonna get hot.
Miami Lakes has been bragging about its “tax diet” for years, cutting the millage in 2017, 2018, 2019, and again in 2023, hitting a so-called “all-time low” in 2024 and then going flat this year. Town Manager Edward Pidermann says the belt’s so tight now, the town is choking.

“The multi-year reduction of millage has placed cumulative pressures on town revenues and its ability to provide a high standard of public services,” Pidermann wrote in a July 29 memo. Translation: The town just can’t keep delivering champagne services on a beer budget.
Back then, the manager had proposed a tax hike last that would take Miami Lakes back to the 2006-2007 rates — and would bring in $13.1 million, which is $2.8 million more than last year. Enough to cover everything, including that $500,000 legal settlement with former Mayor Michael Pizzi. Yes, that Pizzi. Because Miami Lakes just can’t get rid of him.
Read related: Miami Lakes votes to pay former Mayor Michael Pizzi $1.7 million for legal fees
For the average homeowner with a taxable value of $293,906, the jump would mean an extra $166 next year. Because everything costs more: contractors, insurance, retirement contributions, and of course, a 5% raise for town staff. And let’s not forget the elephant in the budget — police. Always police.
The biggest line item in the town’s ledger is the $12 million contract with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, sucking up almost half the general fund (48.5%). Next year that bill climbs another $836,194.
The council only capped the tax rate July 29. That means they can make it lower but not higher. And Councilman Bryan Morera told Political Cortadito on Tuesday that he never intended to move forward with the 37% increase, which was a worst case scenario. “Given the information in front of us at that last meeting, I did not have the math to support changing the recommendation,” Morera said. “But there’s plenty of room to come down.”
Property taxes only make up 53% of the town’s general fund — the pot that pays for crossing guards, code enforcement, community events, and yes, those little league parks. The rest comes from fines, permits, utility taxes (16.5%), FPL franchise fees (6%), and intergovernmental revenue (20%).
Morera said he was glad to hear that the town manager had already found ways to make the tax increase less painful.
Pidermann had warned that keeping the current flat rate instead of raising taxes would mean slashing police patrols, skipping a $300,000 infrastructure fund contribution, cutting back on tree trimming and park maintenance, and saying goodbye to new playground equipment. Also: no staff raises, fewer town events, and no council travel.
Some folks might not mind that last one. Electeds can travel on their own dime.
Read related: Critics say Miami-Dade 2025-26 budget could possibly put public safety at risk
But on Tuesday, the town manager told Political Cortadito that changes had already been made after last week’s council meeting, where he got direction for modifications. “Therefore, the most recent version of the General Fund budget that will used in the workshop tomorrow night as the starting point for discussion has some changes,” Pidermann said.
Those changes include:

Increasing the franchise fee agreement with FPL from 3% to 6% — which generates an additional $1,125,000 in FY 2025-2026 and an additional $1.5 million in subsequent years.
Suspend for one year a Miami Lakes ordinance that restricts surplus funds generated by the FPL franchise fee. Normally all funds generated by the FPL franchise fee over $1.27 million must be used for certain infrastructure categories.
Drop the proposed millage rate from 2.6372 presented in July to to 2.2459 — which is still higher than the current 2.0732.
All town committee budgets shall remain flat from current fiscal year.
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for staff salaries shall be reduced from 5% to 3%.

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Shady lobbyist defends Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE’ Act
So, former Miami Commissioner turned mega-lobbyist Marc Sarnoff has found himself a pulpit in the Wall Street Journal, of all places, wagging his finger at America’s universities for being too “woke” and praising Ron DeSantis and Jeanette Nuñez for saving Florida’s ivory towers from the Marxist-Islamist menace.
Eyeroll.
Yes, that Marc Sarnoff — the guy who made his political bones selling out Coconut Grove to developers and now cashes in by shilling for giant LED billboards that blind drivers on I-95. Also the same Sarnoff who is one of the lawyers defending none other than Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo in his never-ending parade of lawsuits.
But sure, tell us more about moral clarity, Marc.
Before he took his turn lecturing from the Wall Street Journal soapbox, — in a piece titled “The Stop WOKE Act Makes Florida Campuses Safe for Jews” — Marc Sarnoff polished his reputation on Miami’s development stage, leaving a trail of controversies, whispers, and vote-trading smoke behind him.
Back in 2006, Sarnoff unexpectedly ousted an incumbent by warning voters that large-scale developer donations come with expectations: “When somebody gives you half a million dollars, they expect to get a return on their investment,” he said. Fast-forward to 2015, and his critics embraced that language, slamming him with a “Sarnoffopoly” campaign flyer that portrayed him and his wife (who ran to succeed him) as a political dynasty bankrolled by boosters like The Related Group and other deep-pocketed developers.
Read related: Mrs. Sarnoff makes the move for her hubby’s hand-me-downs
Remember the bloodline brag? Sarnoff once claimed to be the grandson of radio and TV pioneer ‘General’ David Sarnoff, the Russian-American media executive who launched NBC, the nation’s first TV network. That turned out to be straight-up fiction. After relatives and the David Sarnoff institution publicly denied any connection, he scrambled to scrub the claim from his biography, according to the Miami New Times.
Then there’s his staffing insider maneuver. Sarnoff feigned surprise when two of his own aides resigned — only to be hired days later in much more lucrative positions at the Omni CRA, which Sarnoff controlled. That’s not a coincidence. That’s nepotism.
After he left office and started lobbying for Orange Barrell Media, Sarnoff also fast-tracked digital ad kiosks — even as competing businesses pleaded for fair process and access. The Florida Bulldog in 2020 published a story that shows him quietly steering ordinances in favor of one company that would net Miami millions in ad revenue, raising eyebrows in City Hall. Critics called it a backroom pipeline for corporate gain.
Sarnoff has accepted hundreds of thousands from billboard companies for his political action committee, Truth is the Daughter of Time, which he then funneled to candidates like Carollo and former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who was arrested in 2023 on public corruption charges, including felony bribery and money laundering. The charges were dropped last year.
And in 2012, Sarnoff was admonished by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust for failing to report a gift. The commissioner traveled to Brazil for activities associated with the Volvo Ocean Race later that year in Miami. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau reimbursed Sarnoff for all of his expenses. Miami’s city attorney said that because Sarnoff was taking part in official city business, he did not need to report it as a gift, but the Ethics Commission disagreed. Especially since they also paid for his wife’s travel roundtrip airfare.
Marc Sarnoff has represented Joe Carollo in the 2020 recall against the commissioner and the civil First Amendment case against him for abusing his power with two Little Havana businessmen for political payback.
All told, Sarnoff’s resume reads like a Miami power drama: developmental ambition, coastal real-estate whispers, ethics red flags, nepotism, and showbiz-style big campaign checks. So when he lectures universities about ideological indoctrination, remember: he’s not just speaking from the high moral ground — he’s perched up there atop a pile of conflict-laden foundations.
Sarnoff drops in highbrow quotes from Alexander Pope like he’s writing for the Federalist Society newsletter and then goes full Fox News about “globalize the intifada” chants on campus. His message? Florida is the shining example because DeSantis passed his Stop WOKE Act, gutted DEI, and put political cronies in charge of universities. He even gives FIU’s new and possibly unqualified political-appointee president Jeanette Nuñez — yes, the same Nuñez who spent years in Tallahassee greasing the GOP machine — a glowing shoutout.
Read related: LED billboards could buy their way to Miami streets via campaign donations
Conveniently missing from Sarnoff’s sermon is any mention of actual academic freedom. Or the fact that students in Miami — Jewish, Arab, Black, Haitian, Cuban, Venezuelan, Chinese, whatever — are more than capable of debating tough issues without Tallahassee politicians dictating what’s allowed in their classrooms.
The so-called Stop WOKE Act, or the “Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees” thing — yes, that’s the actual tortured backronym Tallahassee cooked up, because branding — isn’t about protecting anyone from antisemitism, which is real and serious and deserves more than a lobbyist’s op-ed spin. It’s about controlling the narrative, silencing dissent, and reshaping education to fit a right-wing culture war playbook.
Because apparently banning books wasn’t enough, Florida Republicans had to go and ban feelings.
It should be called the ‘Stop Talking About Racism Act’ or the ‘Start Protecting Fragile Feelings Act,’ or maybe the ‘Start MASA Act,” since they like acronyms. It stands for Making America Stupid Again.
Just don’t call it freedom.
DeSantis’ signature culture-war gift to his base, passed in 2022, prohibits schools and businesses from teaching certain concepts about race, gender, privilege and systemic inequality. You know, the kind of conversations that might make people… uncomfortable. The law actually says teachers and employers can’t make anyone feel “guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress” because of race, sex or national origin. Imagine that: a white kid might learn that racism didn’t end with Martin Luther King’s dream speech — and suddenly the state is worried about trauma.
Florida’s Board of Governors has quietly relegated dozens of courses — especially sociology, anthropology, and history—from core degree requirements to optional electives. That means future graduates may skip essential context on systemic inequality—or anything that sounds vaguely “woke”—and still earn a diploma. Schools from UF to FIU are feeling this squeeze. Tenured professors have filed lawsuits.
Of course, courts have already shredded big parts of this as unconstitutional. A federal judge compared it to “1984,”calling it “positively dystopian” for the state to dictate what can and cannot be discussed in classrooms and boardrooms. Even DeSantis’ beloved business donors balked when they realized it could apply to diversity training.
Read related: Gov. Ron DeSantis sends Florida DOGE squad to sniff out Miami-Dade budget
But Tallahassee’s culture crusaders don’t care if it holds up in court. The point isn’t policy, it’s politics. They want to keep the base riled up with the boogeyman of “woke indoctrination,” even if what they’re really doing is dumbing down classrooms and handcuffing teachers.
So now, instead of talking about history, kids in Florida schools get a watered-down version of it. Instead of learning to debate tough issues, they’re learning that free speech has fine print if it makes the wrong people squirm.
And of course, Sarnoff loves it. Because Marc has always thrived in a world where money and influence override messy democratic debate. Now he gets to wrap it all in a bow of “Western civilization” and “citizenship” while his real clients — the billboard companies, the big developers, the entrenched incumbents like Carollo — keep cashing in.
So yeah, the WSJ gave Sarnoff a platform to talk about how “a little learning is a dangerous thing.” Ladra thinks a little self-awareness might be even more dangerous for him.

If you like Ladra’s commentary, please consider making a contribution to Political Cortadito and the grassroots, government watchdog journalism it brings every day. Thank you for your support!

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Four months after he got sworn in as Coral Gables’ newest commissioner, Richard Lara is finally bringing his first resolution to the dais. You’d think it might be some bold policy idea to set the tone for his term. Maybe something on development, zoning, traffic — or even trees.
Nope. Item F-17 on Tuesday’s agenda is… a street naming. And it’s not even his idea.
Lara is sponsoring a resolution to support the co-designation of a portion of SW 57th Avenue, from Calle Ocho to Coral Way, as “Wayne Russell and Jimmy Fabbricatore Way.” That’s a mouthful. Try to ask directions to that and let’s see what happens.
The naming is to honor the longtime owners and operators of the beloved Duffy’s Tavern — which was done last month by Miami-Dade Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis. Duffy’s Tavern is technically in West Miami, where Milian Orbis was a commissioner before she was appointed by the county commission months ago to replace Kevin Cabrera, the new U.S. Ambassador to Panama.
Can’t Lara, who has so far been an echo chamber for Mayor Vince Lago, have an original thought?
Read related: Richard Lara sought repayment for gala ticket bought before Gables election
Don’t get Ladra wrong: Russell and Fabbricatore are both respected names in local history and may very well deserve recognition. But the timing makes it look like Lara is borrowing from the county playbook rather than drafting something of his own. After four months in office, Lara’s first big idea is… someone else’s.

The street naming is to highlight significant role Duffy’s Tavern has played in the local community for over 40 years, serving as a gathering place for residents and fans of various sports teams like the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Miami Marlins, Inter Miami, and the University of Miami Hurricanes. It is a way to acknowledge the contributions of Russell and Fabbricatore in building the neighborhood spirit and recognizing Duffy’s Tavern as more than just a restaurant but a cherished landmark.
Duffy’s first opened in 1955 by Martin Duffy. But it might not be there for long. This honor comes a little more than a year after Russell and Fabbricatore sold the property, 2108 SW 57th Ave., and the automotive shop next to it for $4.5 million to Doral real estate agent and petroleum dealer Marwan Shihadeh.
We don’t know what he plans to do with it, but whatever development he plans will have a Duffy-esque address: 2100 Wayne Russell and Jimmy Fabbricatore Way.

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Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has a new political target in his crosshairs — the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association, the decades-old civic group that safeguards the land where the city’s youth center now stands. But it’s only because former Commissioner “Coach Kirk” Menendez, who had the guts to challenge him in the last election, is its president.
Just another stop on Lago’s political revenge tour. And bonus: Maybe the city gets to control the property.
The mayor began questioning the non-profit organization only shortly after he was re-elected in April, beating Menendez in the first round with 55% of the vote. Lago says the association has gone dormant, lost its nonprofit status and failed to meet regularly. But the Florida Division of Corporations shows that it files an annual report each year except for one: 2005. It was reinstated in 2006 and filed last year.
This is more than an extended political grudge, a new battlefield for the mayor to blast Menendez. This looks like a land grab.
Read related: Vince Lago, Rhonda Anderson handily coast to re-election in Coral Gables
That’s why Lago says the reverter clause — the language that gives control of the property back to the association if it is not used exclusively for a youth center — is a “cloud on the title” that needs to be lifted. Y, por supuesto, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara quickly agreed. That’s their role.
But nobody campaigned on this, which is their excuse du jour whenever they want to force something: They “know what voters want” because they just ran for office and won. But nobody remembers them saying they were going to take on the non-profit that safeguards the Youth Center. And it is hard to believe voters want this.
The beloved youth center is not just a bunch of fields and playground equipment and basketball courts. It is practically sacred ground. It is a community gathering place and an iconic piece of growing up in the Gables. There’s hardly anybody in the city who hasn’t been there for something — a workout, a baseball game, summer camp, a performance, a community civic meeting.
And Menendez is almost synonymous with it. He grew up playing soccer there, turned into a coach and has been a staple on those soccer fields for decades. More people know him as Coach Kirk than Commissioner Menendez.
The association was born out of the post–World War II “living memorial” for veterans. It deeded the land to the city in 1958, but not without the reverter clause that says the property would bounce back to them if the city ever tried to repurpose it. And for almost 70 years, the city has honored that. Well, except for that one time in the 1960s, when they wanted to tear down Coral Gables Elementary for an office building and rebuild the school on the Youth Center grounds. A court upheld the reverter clause and slapped commissioners back in line back then.
Now, Lago wants that language gone for whatever reason. And he’s placing a cloud on the organization.
“I want to see all its documents, and I’d like staff to come up with a plan of action to contact the board and ask for bank records,” Lago said in July, sounding more like an evil king who wants the association’s head on a platter. He asked City Attorney Cristina Suarez to dig through the association’s books, history and bank accounts. She is supposed to report back on Tuesday, but what she may report is that she hit a dead end.
Ladra confirmed that Suarez sent the non-profit a list of documents she wants to see, including tax filings, investments information, internal memos — but there is no indication that she got them.
“We’re a private entity,” Menendez told Political Cortadito. “Like the Coral Gables Community Foundation, Friends of Gables High, a floral shop.”
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago scores trifecta on post-election revenge tour
“Removing the protective reverter clause in the Youth Center deed would be like getting rid of the security guards and dismantling the security system of a bank because there hasn’t been a bank robbery there for years,” Menendez said.
Because, again, this is really about a land grab. That is why Lago said that “our cherished youth center should not have any cloud on title.” Remember, he’s also a real estate agent.
The real cloud is on Lago’s motives.
If the association were to dissolve or transfer the land, it could potentially make the property — 8.6 acres in a valuable, central location near the downtown — eligible for redevelopment, though the City has publicly stated it has no intention of repurposing the site. For now, anyway.
Lyin’ Lago swears there are no plans to redevelop the property. “The city will never, in my opinion, knock down and build housing there,” he mayor promised. Okay. But what about offices? A theater? Ladra’s heard enough about land deals in this town to know you never say never in Coral Gables.
And who stands to gain if the city got the property free and clear? That’s the multi-million dollar question.
Beyond real estate, a freed-up title could shift political leverage. If Menendez keeps control, he could maintain his influence in Coral Gables civic circles. Conversely, Lago’s push to clear the title may be aimed at cementing his control and undercutting Menendez’s foothold. This isn’t just about property—it’s a battle over legacy, governance, and civic authority. The reverter clause ties into who steers future programming, who decides the site’s purpose, and who has a stake in one of the city’s most visible public assets.
Menendez said that past generations knew what they were doing when they put the protections in place. And it looks like he is not going down without a fight. Last week, the Gazette reported, he made a presentation before the Rotary Club, a good audience for civic pride, nostalgia, and some rare photos — including a 1947 Life magazine cover. His presentation was even titled “The Youth Center, A Coral Gables Story.”
For now, the Youth Center is still open and bustling. Parents drop off kids for basketball, seniors play bingo, and nobody outside City Hall seems to think there’s a crisis. But with a ‘roid-rage-fueled political grudge and a juicy piece of Gables real estate at stake, you can bet this “cloud on title” is going to rain plenty more drama before the storm is over.

Help Ladra keep the spotlight on the shenanigans at Coral Gables City Hall with a contribution to Political Cortadito and the grassroots, government watchdog journalism it brings every day. Thank you for your support!

The post Election fallout: Coral Gables Mayor Lago takes aim at Youth Center group appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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County commissioner wants to qualify by petition
For everyone still whispering that Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins might blink at giving up three safe years on the county dais for a risky run at Miami’s top job — stop. It’s done. There’s no room for doubts now.
Higgins submitted her resignation letter as a county elected, as required by law, effective Nov. 5. Which means she’s officially burned the lifeboats.
“I am deeply humbled and honored by the opportunity to run for Mayor of the City of Miami at a time when our community stands at a crossroads and residents are yearning for meaningful reform and real results,” Higgins wrote in the letter sent Monday to Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Juan Fernandez-Barquin and Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia, knowing that it would be quoted in stories like this.
“For nearly eight years, it has been my privilege to serve the residents of Miami-Dade County’s District 5, representing the communities of Miami and Miami Beach,” Higgins wrote. “I am profoundly grateful for the trust and confidence that my constituents have placed in me throughout my service, and I will always treasure the opportunity to have served as their county commissioner.
Read related: Poll has Eileen Higgins in Miami mayoral runoff with Emilio Gonzalez
“While it is with mixed emotions that I resign my post, I do so with immense gratitude for the honor of serving the residents of D District 5,” Higgins added. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving the residents of the City of Miami as their next Mayor. I bring with me a proven track record of accomplishments, a deep commitment to our community, and a readiness to deliver real results for all who call Miami home.”
Higgins, who Little Havana seniors lovingly call “La Gringa” since she first ran in 2018, also announced that she will qualify for the Miami mayoral ballot the hard way: by petition. Her campaign turned in more than 3,000 signed petitions, topping the 2,048 needed, and making a big show of “grassroots momentum” in the process.
“Qualifying by petition takes people — volunteers, neighbors, and supporters across Miami — who believe in our vision and are willing to act on it,” Higgins said. “That’s exactly what this campaign represents: a movement of residents determined to restore trust, deliver results, and make Miami work for all of us.”
Translation: She wants voters to see her as the anti-Carollo, the antidote to dysfunction at City Hall. The clean, ethical alternative who actually gets stuff done. Her press shop even mentioned her record on affordable housing, small businesses, transit and Biscayne Bay — all of which sound a lot better than what the circus clowns over on Flagler Street are doing right now.
Read related: Miami-Dade’s Eileen Higgins gets $250K for new Miami mayoral race PAC
But let’s be clear: She is abandoning her constituency three years before the end of her term and during a financial crisis with a looming budget shortfall and the consequences of that (fewer services, more fees), which she is going to vote on in the next couple of months — and then disappear. The county will likely have a special election to replace her — three years is too long for an appointee — which will cost the county more. Work that into your budget, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Still, this is a gamble. Higgins had three more guaranteed years in office as the county commission’s senior member. Now she’s chasing history as Miami’s first woman mayor, with fewer than 75 days to make her case citywide.
The field is crowded. But she’s an immediate favorite. A recent poll indicated that the election, if held today, would end in a runoff between Higgins and former City Manager Emilio González, who has been hailed a hero for saving the election with his lawsuit. Gonzalez sued the city to stop the change, by ordinance, of election dates from odd-numbered to even-numbered years, which would have effectively cancelled this year’s mayoral race. He was the only one who took the challenge to court. But that hasn’t stopped Higgins from fundraising off the court’s decision to find the change unconstitutional because there wasn’t a public vote, as required by city and county charter.
There is a clusterbunch of other hopefuls gunning for the certain runoff that includes former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and former Miami Commissioner and onetime Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez. Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla — who was suspended after his arrest on public corruption charges in 2023 (charges were dropped last year) — have threatened to run.
The others who have indicated they are running are Laura Anderson, Christian Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Ijamyn Gray, Michael Hepburn, Max Martinez and June Savage. But qualification doesn’t start until Sept. 5. It ends Sept. 20. And then we’ll really know how crowded this party is.
Higgins, 61, will need more than good government talking points to survive Miami’s trench warfare politics — where money, mailers and whisper campaigns can flip a race overnight.
Read related: Eileen Higgins pressures Sierra Club and Ken Russell resigns as lobbyist
Still, qualifying by petition instead of checkbook is a smart optic. It gives Higgins her “people-powered” storyline and undercuts critics who call her the establishment choice.
“I am proud to say that the community is behind me and I am ready to get to work,” Higgins said in an Instagram post earlier this month.
Now the question becomes: Can she turn that petition energy into votes come November? Or will she be remembered as the commissioner who left a safe seat for a shot at City Hall glory — and came up short?
Stay tuned. Miami loves a political novela, and this one just turned the page.
The post Eileen Higgins officially resigns Miami-Dade seat to run for Miami mayor appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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