Eileen Higgins Brings Senator Ruben Gallego to Miami — pero, why?

Eileen Higgins is bringing in backup this Sunday to early voting in the Miami mayoral election. And not just any backup — she’s flying in Arizona’s newly minted U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, the Marine-turned-politician who just made history as the first Latino to represent that state in the Senate.
Very impressive. Muy cute. But Ladra has one question: Why this guy?
No, seriously. Gallego, who has campaigned with Bernie Sanders and embraced his role as a liberal firebrand, has an impressive resume. But what does a senator from Arizona — famous for cacti, dry heat, and Kari Lake — have to do with the City of Miami election, where the biggest natural disasters are man-made and usually sitting on the dais at City Hall?
She’s not alone. Former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez has promoted his endorsement from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. But at least Cruz is half Cuban. Gallego is half Colombian, half Mexican.
Read related: Miami’s mayoral race has gone full partisan – just like Ladra warned
Higgins, the former Miami-Dade commissioner who is now the leading candidate for Miami mayor (at least according to her campaign), announced a full day of early voting events this Sunday: churches, a GOTV rally in Hadley Park, a phone bank, and probably a selfie marathon.
And now La Gringa added Senator Gallego to the program — which looks very much like a national Democrat trying to sprinkle some star power on a local race that has been dominated by corruption headlines, the “affordability” crisis and the ghost of Francis Suarez’s Bitcoin fantasies.
Higgins’ campaign message is all about restoring trust, ending corruption, and cleaning up the political toxic spill that is our beloved 33132. And Miami does need a cleanse. A political colonic. Un despojo.
But does bringing a senator from the other side of the country help?
Look, Ruben Gallego is a compelling guy: A Marine Corps veteran — he served in Iraq in one of the hardest-hit units — and Harvard grad, the son of immigrants was raised working class and became a Latino trailblazer in statewide office. Kudos. He talks about corruption and government accountability with credibility. Fresh.
Read related: Early voting starts Friday for runoffs in Hialeah, Miami and Miami Beach
On paper, yes, he’s the kind of national figure who can energize Democrats, inspire veterans, and appeal to working-class Latino voters. But Miami is not a normal city. Our political landscape is a surreal telenovela with federal subpoenas, lobbyist entanglements, questionable contracts, and commissioners who behave like they’re auditioning for a new reality TV show on Bravo.
So Ladra has to ask: Is this really about galvanizing voters — or about boosting Higgins’ national brand?
Because Gallego doesn’t have deep roots here. ¿Que pinta el aquí? Just because his last name ends un a vowel? The Miami political machine is hyper-local. Hyper-tribal. Hyper-tropical. And Arizona Latino politics has little in common with Miami Latino politics. So why bring him?
The answer might be the vibe. There is one thing Gallego brings that may actually resonate here: He talks like someone who’s been through real struggle and real sacrifice.
His story is working-class, military, immigrant-rooted. He wrote a book about his service in Iraq and dealing with PTSD. Miami voters — especially in Allapattah, Flagami, Little Havana, Little Haiti, North Miami, and the West Grove — respond to authenticity and survivors. They respond to people who didn’t start life with a silver spoon or a condo on Brickell.
Higgins, for all her experience, has struggled to connect emotionally in the way some Miami politicians do. She’s knowledgeable, she’s policy-driven, she’s competent — but Miami politics is a performance art.
Gallego might humanize her campaign. Give it some grit. Some corazón.
Read related: DNC goes ‘all in’ for Eileen Higgins in hyper partisan Miami mayoral race
And maybe Higgins wants voters to see her alongside someone who has built a national reputation for “calling out corruption” — which definitely fits the vibe of a city where the FBI should honestly get its own office at City Hall.
But let’s not pretend this isn’t also about headlines. Gallego is a rising star in the national party. Bringing him here draws cameras, donors, and maybe even a few Miami Dems who only come out during presidential years.
It screams: “Look at me, I’m the serious candidate!”
But Ladra will be watching whether the Gallego visit turns into a genuine community push, or a carefully staged photo-op tour to boost a campaign that’s been too quiet, too safe, and maybe a little too polite for a city where politics is blood sport.
Higgins says she wants to restore trust and end corruption. Bueno. Lovely goal. We all want that.
But Miami voters might care more about whether she can stand up to — and clean up after — the political animal farm that City Hall has become.
Bringing Ruben Gallego may help her look tougher, louder, and more connected.
Or it may just make people ask… “Y este tipo… quién es?”

You can help get more independent, watchdog government reporting of our local government and political campaigns to our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here.Ladra thanks you for your support.

The post Eileen Higgins Brings Senator Ruben Gallego to Miami — pero, why? appeared first on Political Cortadito.

Read Full Story