Democrat activist Carlos Pereira, a candidate for Doral City Council, was suspended this week from the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) because he allegedly endorsed Republican State Rep. Carlos Trujillo.

Pereira says he has not endorsed anybody in the race for House District 105 and that he cannot control a photo that Trujillo posted on Facebook touting an endorsement. He also told Ladra that nobody in the DEC even contacted him to ask him about it and that there must be another reason why they are creating this controversy six weeks before the Doral election.

Miami-Dade Democrats Executive Director Juan Cuba says there is an investigation into it. Pereira is suspended until the committee meets to vote on it.

An endorsement would be a violation of his loyalty oath, a document signed by all members of the DEC that swears not to support any opponent of a Democratic nominee. Trujillo has a challenge from Democrat Patricio Moreno. It’s a throwaway challenge, sure. The Dems just tossed a bunch of token candidates into the state races at the last minute, again… but nobody expects them to actually compete. Even in District 105, which went to President Obama with the widest margin in 2012 and where the Dems apparently expect to win just because there’s a D next to Moreno’s name.

Maybe the DEC should have better supported Pereira, a DEC member since 2012, when he actually ran against Trujillo in 2014. None of the $13,000 or so he raised two years ago seems to have come directly from the party, although $2,500 comes from the SEIU, which many might think is an extension of the party.

Trujillo, who raised almost $265,000, easily beat Pereira 60 to 40 percent. 

Read related story: Doral considers condemning Trump, taking back city key

But apparently, Pereira is over it.

Despite leading the charge to take away the Doral key to the city given to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump because of his anti-immigrant stance, Pereira has been MIA from multiple immigrant advocate protests against Trujillo, who wants to pass a law that would make illegal immigrants felons just for being in this country without permission. Cuba says Pereira had Trujillo on his webcast show.

Then in June, Pereira received a $1,000 donation from Conservative and Principled Leadership for Florida, a PAC controlled by Carlos Trujillo. It is more than a quarter of the $3,775 raised as of Aug. 31. Then Tuesday, via Facebook, Trujillo announced the endorsement of Carlos Pereira. 

“Honored to receive the endorsement of my Democratic opponent from 2014, Carlos Pereira,” Trujillo posted with a photo of the two in front of Doral City Hall. “Thank you for your support!”

That caused Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Bullard, a Florida senator facing his own re-election challenge, to suspend Pereira just hours later.

Read related story: Rep. Carlos Trujillo draws protests over anti-immigrant bill

“It is unfortunate that Carlos Pereira would endorse a Republican who wants to further criminalize undocumented immigrants, privatize public education, eliminate the minimum wage, and end collective bargaining,” Bullard said, hinting that the contribution to his campaign bought the endorsement. “It’s also deeply troubling that Pereira would accept a $1,000 contribution from Trujillo’s PAC and create a perception of quid pro quo.”

“Carlos Pereira should no longer be considered a spokesperson for the Democratic Party on any media outlets,” a statement read.

Pereira said that he and Trujillo are friendly.

“He treated me with respect during the 2014 campaign and since. He was a gentleman. He is supporting me in the non partisan race in Doral,” Pereira said, adding that the photo was taken during an art exhibit opening at Doral City Hall. “I can’t control what he puts on his Facebook page.”

The Democrat activist also told Ladra that he has “a good relationship with Patricio, too,” and had not yet decided who to support in that race. “At no moment, have I declared that I am with one candidate or the other.”

Perhaps the Miami-Dade Dems should place more efforts on helping Moreno, who is hung out to dry just like Pereira was in 2014, with only $1,200 raised and a $2,000 loan to himself. Meanwhile, Trujillo — who, by the way, qualified via petition signatures — has outdone his bank from two years ago with $282,000 raised as of Sept. 16.

The program allocates one hour for the speakers, but Ladra bets the Democrats of South Dade Club meeting Tuesday goes late.

That’s because there are no fewer than eight blue party candidates — one congressional, one state senate wannabe and six House hopefuls — on the schedule. And who knows how many more will just show up to say hi?

Most interesting on the program is Florida Senate candidate Ana Rivas Logan, a former Republican state rep who finally threw her hat in against Sen. Dwight Bullard in the District 40 primary as Ladra suggested and predicted months ago. Was Bullard not available? Or are the South Dade Dems among those who don’t think he can beat State Rep. Frank Artiles in November and want to bet on Rivas instead?

Can you say awkward?

In fact, the only incumbent at Tuesday’s forum is State Rep. Kionne McGhee, who is unopposed (sure, there’s an NPA who opened an account, but she has reported raising no money and Ladra doubts she will even qualify). He almost doesn’t have to speak and can give his time to his party mates.

The other five are:

• Daisy Baez, who is running for the open seat in District 114 left vacated by the term-limited Erik Fresen. It is her second run after getting 44 percent in 2014 with about half his money. There is another Democrat named Albert Santana in the primary, but while he has loaned himself $42,000, he does not look like much of a challenge to Baez, who many expect to turn the seat blue this year.
• Ross Hancock, who wants to run in District 115 against State Rep. Michael Bileca but may face a primary challenge against Jeffrey “Doc” Solomon, who most recently failed a bid for Pinecrest Village Council.
• Robert Asencio, a former Miami-Dade Schools Police lieutenant, is running in the seat vacated by Artiles’ dash for the Senate. The longtime public employee advocate — who has traveled to Tallahassee as president and founder of Florida Public Employees Partnership to advocate against pension reform — is the only Dem running in that race, which has five Republicans listed as potential foes, including former Congressman David Rivera and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell.
• Kevin Diaz, one of two Democrats running in District 120 against Holly Raschein. He’s a Miami attorney who grew up in Homestead.
• Daniel Horton, the other Democrat running in District 120, after switching from the Democratic Senate primary in District 39 against Andrew Korge.

That’s from the program. Ladra would not be surprised if Solomon and Santana showed up.

And let’s not forget the congressional candidate, Scott Fuhrman, who is going up against the least vulnerable Republican around, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who hasn’t had a challenge in, well, has she ever? Fuhrman may have an unfortunate name (any relation to Mark of OJ fame?) and rap sheet (several college arrests, a DUI and a fleeing the scene of an accident), but he also has $250,000 burning a hole in his pocket and the Democratic Party’s support in a year when they hope the toxicity of Donald Trump helps them win seats when GOP voters stay home.

Now, how are these eight candidates going to speak in one hour’s time? Ah, because the Kendall Dems have Bob Goldstein, the longtime club president, who has experience cutting politicos off mid-speech.

The event at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, 7701 S.W. 76th Ave., begins with social time at 7 p.m., followed by club business at 7:30. The candidates will start speaking about 8 p.m.

But don’t hold them to the 9 p.m. end time. Bob’s good but there are bound to be questions from the audience.

Eight months ’til the general election and local Democrats decided that they need Juan Cuba is back at the helm of the Miami-Dade party.

Cuba, who had served as executive director for two years before leaving in 2014 to be a political strategist for the Service Employees International Union, was back on the job this week — just in time to welcome Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and Congresswoman and DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz at a pre-debate party Wednesday.

Because this is all about November.

“I’m excited to be back with the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. This is the most important election of my lifetime, especially with the Supreme Court hanging in the balance,” Cuba told Ladra.

Read related story: Juan Cuba leaves Dade Dems for union job, doing the same

“I want to make sure we deliver a big margin of victory in Miami-Dade for the Democratic nominee, and that we are electing Democrats up and down the ballot,” he said, although Ladra can’t help but notice a dearth of any real, viable Democrat candidates in vulnerable seats like the one held by State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, whose district went to Obama in 2012.

But Cuba, who was sorta forced to run for office in that “No Free Rides” campaign the Dade Dems launched (unsuccessfully) against GOP House incumbents, isn’t going to run again after losing nearly 2 to 1 against State Rep. Jose Pepe “Selfie King” Diaz. He’d rather help increase voter participation from the big picture perspective.

He also promised that Dade Dems — who got involved in local government issues when the subsidy to the Miami Dolphins was first floated and then fought library closures and helped get Commissioner Daniella Levine-Cava elected in 2014 — would stay engaged in local politics.

“Even though the elections are nonpartisan, the candidates are not,” he said.

Read related story: Dade Dems wage full House battle with 6 challengers

“Right now, you have elected officials who abuse anti-poverty funds and spend it on luxury development, people who want to cut services in low-income neighborhoods but have no problem providing subsidies to millionaires and billionaires,” Cuba said, and Ladra can’t help but think he’s talking about the county mayor.

“There are efforts to privatize municipal services including our water supply, and inaction around transit and affordable housing that can help low-income families.”

Yep. I was right. That’s Carlos Gimenez to a T.

“We are going to apply our Democratic values to local issues and fight for working families,” Cuba said.

And since Ladra is officially on Team Raquel (working with the mayor’s opponent, Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado), our tail is wagging. Because I think, by now, the Democrats — who had tried to get Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime to run — have given up on finding their own candidate for the mayoral race.

Welcome back, Juan!