June Savage: The uninvited guest who won’t stay quiet in Miami mayor’s race

Part of a series of profiles about the Miami mayoral candidates
Mayoral candidate June Savage — who could have the best political name ever for wild Miami — might not be on every debate stage. But that hasn’t stopped her from making noise in the city’s crowded race.
The real estate sales associate with One Sotheby’s says she’s running for mayor because she’s tired of “government waste,” crumbling infrastructure, environmental neglect, and what she sees as a general lack of safety in the city she calls home. Savage who lives near Coconut Grove, is one of 13 candidates vying for the mayor’s seat in the Nov. 4 election — and she’s not shy about saying exactly what she thinks.
“I am a perfectionist and not attached to lobbyists or developers,” Savage told the Miami Herald recently. “I have international business experience along with high-level management and negotiation skills. I am boots on the ground. I stay true to my promises and speak truth.”
That last part checks out. Savage definitely speaks truth — or at least her truth — and she does it loud enough for everyone to hear.
She’s already earned a bit of a reputation for calling out what she sees as unfair treatment by the political establishment. Savage crashed one of the first mayoral forums, hosted by a group of progressive organizations, and was not allowed in. Then she complained about being excluded from the Downtown Neighbors Alliance debate, which only invited the six candidates that polled over 5%. And now the Republican woman — one of two in the race — is protesting the Women’s Republican Club of Miami Federated, after they didn’t invite her to their own candidate meet-and-greet.
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In other words, if there’s a mayoral stage in Miami, June Savage wants on it — and she’s not afraid to make a scene if she’s left out.
While she is sometimes spotted wearing a MAGA hat, it’s green not red, and she’s also not your typical GOP echo chamber. Savage calls herself “a liberal Republican.” She loves the arts and theater, plays the congas and paints, and has been seen riding her bicycle with her parrot on her shoulder at the “hippie market” in the Grove.
“People just want to label you because you’re registered with a specific party,” Savage told Political Cortadito, adding that the GOP just has a “better business sense.” But she identifies more as a DAR — or member of the Daughters of the American Revolution — which is now promoting diversity to erase their racist past.
She promises to be a present mayor and says she will quit her luxury residential real estate work — “it’s very easy for me to refer out business” — and be full time at City Hall. “Francis has been going around being Mr. Tech, Mr. Bitcoin. All he does are his workout videos.”
While she is not against growth, she says construction has gone out of control and overstepped the infrastructure. She wants to see more “green initiatives” and especially wants to do something to shore up the barrier islands and update the city’s hurricane plan. She also says that the city needs to be more involved in getting more educational choices for Miami families. But, according to her website, her political bread and butter is the same as everyone else’s: Address the homelessness, support first responders, fight for Biscayne Bay, and simplify the permitting process.
Blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard it all before.
She has also spoken at the city commission meetings and recently supported the giveaway of the Olympia Theater to Academica for its SLAM charter school to use.
Read related: One-liners and other memorable moments from Miami mayoral debate
Savage has flirted with political ambition before, once campaigning to run for mayor of Miami Beach. Now she’s shifted those high hope sights across Biscayne Bay to the big chair at City Hall. Her campaign style is direct, sometimes abrasive, and unapologetically her. She doesn’t mince words, hedge bets, hide her frustrations, and doesn’t seem to care who gets uncomfortable when she talks.
That bluntness has earned her a few admirers — and a few critics. Some who’ve seen her at community meetings or online comment threads say she “tells it like it is.” Others say she comes off as politically incorrect, making jokes about women by age and weight.
Still, Savage seems undeterred. She’s positioning herself as the no-nonsense, outsider candidate — the one who isn’t backed by lobbyists, unions, or developers. The one who will, in her words, “stay true to her promises and speak truth.”
Ladra’s seen a lot of candidates like that come and go, but there’s something undeniably Miami about June Savage’s campaign. A little drama, a little defiance, and a whole lot of “I’ll do it my way.”
It’s highly unlikely that she gets double digits, let alone make it into a runoff. But one thing is certain: June Savage isn’t going quietly.
The post June Savage: The uninvited guest who won’t stay quiet in Miami mayor’s race appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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