Here comes another candidate forum in the crowded Miami mayor’s race. But this time, only the Democrats need apply.
That means nine of the 13 candidates are excluded from the “Democratic Candidate Mayoral Forum,” hosted by The Coconut Grove Democratic Club and the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. The moderator will be Don Finefrock, of the Coconut Grove Spotlight and formerly of the Miami Herald.
The four Democrats confirmed for this powwow are Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, Elijah John Bowdre and perennial candidate Michael Hepburn.
It will be probably be more civilized than the debate this past week put on by the Downtown Neighbors Alliance and CBS Miami, which turned into a mudslinging festival, although it had lots of entertainment value. That’s because the main clowns in the circus, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, weren’t invited to Sunday’s shindig.
Read related: One-liners and other memorable moments from Miami mayoral debate
And while the invite thanks the Coral Gables Dems, the Key Biscayne Dems, and the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus for co-sponsoring, Ladra can’t help but point out the obvious: the mayor’s race is supposed to be nonpartisan. Candidates don’t run with a party label on the ballot. But here we are with the local Democratic clubs lining up behind their own showcase anyway.
“From our perspective, we are here to introduce the Democrat candidates to our community,” said Greg Frankel, president of the Coconut Grove Democratic Club (no relation to Congresswoman Lois Frankel). The club had a planning committee to come up with a list of questions and issues to discuss.
“They are free to challenge each other within the format, but we want them to focus on the larger citywide issues,” Frankel told Political Cortadito.
Not that the other side hasn’t blurred the lines, too. Truth is, these races have become partisan.
Both the Florida Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Florida started taking partisan shots before qualifying even ended, with the Dems calling the Republican frontrunner, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, the “MAGA mayor,” and the GOP comparing Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins to Democratic New York mayoral candidate Zohar Mamdani, who has been a darling of the Socialist Workers Party.
This is Miami, after all. Nobody really believes in nonpartisan anything.
Still, the forum might matter to some undecided voters one month before Election Day.
Read related: Daniella Levine Cava gives Higgins the expected abrazo in Miami mayor’s race
But let’s be honest, the Dems are really going to choose between Higgins and Russell. Ladra’s money is on Higgins, even before but especially now that she just got Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s official endorsement. Levine Cava is arguably the most influential and powerful Democrat in the state.
So, you can bet this forum will feel less like a public debate and more like an in-house audition.
The forum begins at 5 p.m. Sunday at St. James Baptist Church, 3500 Charles Ave.

If you want more independent, watchdog reporting of county government and local elections, help Ladra with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here.

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With the Miami mayoral elections just weeks away, thoughts are turning to who would replace Miami-Dade Eileen Higgins, who resigned her District 5 seat to run in the city. The resignation takes effect after the Nov. 4 election, whether she wins or not.
And everybody is betting that the commission is going to appoint someone.
Why wouldn’t they? They just had a brutal budget season and a special election will cost, well, something. And they’ve been on an appointing spree, with both Danielle Cohen Higgins and, more recently, Natalie Milian Orbis filling in for vacancies. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Roberto Gonzalez to the District 11 seat, but that was only because former Commissioner Joe Martinez was suspended after his arrest on public corruption charges.
So the likelihood of an appointment is high, especially since it wouldn’t have to be for the full three years left on the term. The district can be included in next year’s commission races, so it’s just a year. Even though that year gives the appointee a huge advantage when he or she runs.
And there are already wannabes chomping at the chance.
Read related: Anthony Rodriguez, Florida lawmakers discuss elimination of property taxes
State Rep. Vicky Lopez, who was just appointed to the governor’s new property tax reform committee, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro — who left the District 5 seat in 2018 to run for Congress, but lost — and former Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, who lost last year’s race for county sheriff, have been floated as possible fill-ins. Former Miami Beach Commissioner and onetime State Rep. David Richardson, who filed to run for the D5 seat in 2028, has also talked to several commissioners as early as April, when he filed to run for the seat in an election.
Even though the county board of commissioners is nonpartisan, party politics often play into decisions. Especially when appointing someone. The commission is currently 7-6 for the blue team. When they appointed Milian earlier this year, all the Democrats but Higgins — who wanted an election — joined all the Republicans but Raquel Regalado, who also wanted an election. Maybe that’s because Milian was replacing a Republican. Or maybe that’s because Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins does whatever Chairman Anthony Rodriguez wants.
So, it stands to reason that they would choose a Democrat to replace a Democrat, no?
“Having represented Miami Beach and Little Havana both on the Miami Beach Commission and as a state representative, I would be honored to be considered for an appointment,” Richardson told Political Cortadito Friday. “I made phone calls months ago to express my interest, and then I filed to further express my interest.
“I have a deep understanding of the issues constituents face day in and day out, and believe voters would be best served by someone with my education and experience,” Richardson said, although neither of those things helped him in the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s race last year, which he lost to Dariel Fernandez.
Read related: David Richardson seeks to replace Eileen Higgins on county commission
Sanchez, who did not return calls and texts from Ladra, is openly and publicly lobbying for the position.

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Don’t be surprised if the next Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office car that rolls up on you doesn’t have a cop behind the wheel.
On Wednesday, Sheriff Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz unveiled what she claims is the nation’s first autonomous patrol vehicle — a driverless police car that sounds like it rolled straight out of a 2000s sci-fi flick. They even gave it a cutesy name: the Police Unmanned Ground vehicle, or “PUG Patrol Partner.”
Ladra wonders who got paid for that branding job.
Read related: Miami-Dade Sheriff to county leaders: Budget cuts handcuff public safety
The PUG comes courtesy of Virginia-based Perrone Robotics and a one-year pilot program cooked up by a nonprofit called the Policing Lab. And, no, taxpayers aren’t supposed to be footing the bill — at least not yet. Which is a good thing, seeing as how the sheriff was demanding more tax dollars for her $1 billion budget just a few weeks ago. But Ladra can’t help but wonder if Perrone Robotics gets out of it: Data? Footage? What?
The 12-month pilot period aims to evaluate how the PUG affects improved response times, enhanced deterrence, officer safety, and stronger public trust. Miami-Dade is testing ground and this information will determine whether other agencies follow.
But Ladra doesn’t know how they’ll get those metrics if, for now, the robo cruiser — which can drive “pre-planned routes” — is assigned to the department’s Community Affairs Bureau. That means you’re more likely to see it at a parade or a school event with Sberiff Rosie and her entourage than rolling up on a burglary in progress. Like an upgrade on McGruff the Crime Dog.
At least while they work out the kinks — there will actually be a “safety driver” riding along in case the thing goes haywire. So, not exactly “driverless,” huh? The sheriff says it’s to get the public reaction and responses. But doesn’t it have the tech for that?
The vehicle is fully loaded: 360-degree cameras, audio sensors, thermal imaging, license plate recognition, even the ability to launch a drone that gives law enforcement real-time, live footage of a shooting in progress or other critical response scenario. It reportedly can also find someone hiding in the shrubs in a restricted area or a sniper along the rooftop, which is frighteningly becoming more of a thing to search for. Artificial intelligence supposedly automates patrolling and reporting.
Sounds cool until you realize it also means more surveillance toys pointed at you.
“For us, it’s a way to touch this community in a way that we really have never done before,” Cordero-Stutz told WPLG-Local 10 News, calling it a “game-changer.
“We are setting the standard for what will be the future of law enforcement in this country.”
Yikes. What if we don’t want to be touched in that way?
The sheriff says the point is officer safety, faster response times, and stretching resources without new costs. The Policing Lab director, Marjolijn Bruggeling, calls it a “smart, high-tech partner” that frees deputies to focus on “the complex and human side of policing.”
Okay, but forgive Ladra for being skeptical. This is not Miami-Dade’s first foray into high-tech assistance.
Remember the millions poured into ShotSpotter, the gunshot detection system that was supposed to “revolutionize” policing but mostly just misfired? Or the network of license plate readers that promised to catch criminals but ended up tracking ordinary drivers instead? Add the never-ending rollout of body cams, pitched as a transparency fix but plagued by storage costs, delays, and missing footage.
Read related: Miami-Dade could go above and beyond to help ICE with local detainees
Every few years, the law enforcement brass lines up with a new gadget that’s supposed to solve everything from officer safety to public trust. And every few years, taxpayers are left wondering if we bought more bells and whistles than actual results.
So, Ladra has to ask: is this really about “community trust,” as they say — or is it about testing how much robo-policing the public will swallow? Because today, the PUG is just smiling at kids in a school gym, a demo car to rally the crowds at community events. Tomorrow, it could be circling your block with nobody accountable in the driver’s seat.
And if something goes wrong — who are you going to call? The safety driver? The sheriff? Some machine?

If you want more of this kind of independent, watchdog reporting on local government, help Ladra keep the lights on (and the cafecito flowing) with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Drop a little love here.

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Coral Gables Vince Lago gave his fifth State of the City address last month week and, true to form, it was all about him. Except the parts that were about his political enemies, as he made the annual speech an opportunity to attack them. Again.
Speaking to a room full of people at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast, it was almost predictable for him to make it all about the business community. But L’Ego also made it sound like his administration is some sort of Harvard case study in leadership and economic development. He even opened with a Warren Buffett and Bill Gates anecdote about “focus” — because he desperately wants people to put him in their company.
“Focus is what makes Coral Gables special,” he said. And here we thought it was the history-laden Mediterranean architecture and the strict zoning and Miracle Mile and the people. Silly us.
Ladra has heard Lago’s focus speech before. He’s focused on telling you how “fiscally conservative” he is while quietly shoveling tax breaks and red-carpet concierge services to developers and big business. He’s focused on touting “civility and transparency” while using City Hall and his pulpit to attack his political enemies. And now, he’s focused on getting voters to move city elections from April in odd-numbered years to November in even-numbered years — which sounds like more democracy, but also conveniently means that, as an incumbent with tons of money, he’ll have advantages that grass-roots candidates won’t.
The mayor almost didn’t make it to his big speech Thursday, he said. First, he awoke to a flat tire and had to Uber his way to the Biltmore. “And as I stepped out of the Uber, the skies fell on me,” he told the crowd, with a little “how dare they?” in his tone.
Maybe a little foreshadowing, no?
Because once he dried himself off, “in the bathroom,” and got behind the podium, Lago showed us some storm clouds of his own. “Good morning,” he said, and was immediately disappointed with the lack of animated greeting in response. “Either the coffee is not too strong or everybody’s still asleep.”
He never considered the third option: They’re not that excited to see him.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago caves on election change; wants public vote

Yes, he dutifully rattled off accomplishments and buzzwords about “innovation” and “resilience,” he reminded everyone about rolling back the commission raises and even name-checked the city’s $4 million annual fund for sea level rise. He called Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara extremely talented attorneys dedicated to public service — and someone at table 10 almost choked on their bread — and showered City Manager Peter Iglesias with compliments.
“It is a privilege having this gentleman running our city,” Lago said.
But he also slipped into unscripted moments that were darker than usual, even for him. “Everybody wants to be my friend now,” he said, acknowledging he has “yes men” who don’t tell him the truth. “But I’m pretty sure that in four years, 99 percent of people who speak to me, probably won’t speak to me.”
Whoa. Somebody’s feeling the weight of the office. But Ladra’s got news for Vince. Not everybody wants to be his friend now.
Maybe it’s because he’s such a sore winner. Lago once again reminded everyone that he rolled back the commission’s “unjustified” 101% salary hike — which is more dramatic than saying they went from $36,488 to $65,000 a year, which doesn’t seem like a lot. The argument in favor was that the salaries were too low and had not been raised for years and that a higher pay would attract better, less corruptible, candidates — which make sense.
But saying 101% makes it look like they get a six figure salary, which is what Lago wants.
And he is sounding like a broken record. Lago won’t move on because he’s trying to squeeze more election juice out of that for his referendum and to hurt Commissioners Ariel Fernandez — who might not even run again — and Melissa Castro, who definitely should.
The mayor bragged about millage stability, even though the Gables cash cow is long fattened on some of the priciest property values in the county, not by the grace of his genius. He crowed about bond ratings, infrastructure modernization, and acknowledgements for the city’s technical prowess. And, of course, peppered the speech with side eye digs.
“As an elected official, you are required to run this like a business. Some people do, some people don’t. They see it as their own personal piggy bank,” L’Ego said, adding that he will look back in pride at his fiscal responsibility, for “always taking into consideration how hard it is for you to make payroll every two weeks.
“We should make every decision thinking about the bottom line.”
He sure knows his crowd.
He name-dropped some of the city’s technical contractors and the large businesses that have relocated to the City Beautiful, like Apple and Ryder. “Coral gables now holds over 8,000 businesses and over 140 multinationals,” Lago said. “Not just because of our locations, but because of our leadership, because of our planning and because of our incredible focus in regards to quality of life.”
He invoked George Merrick in saying the city had and talked about the University of Miami being “a cornerstone of our identity of growth.” He gave kudos to the tech director for “smart city” projects and patted himself on the back “for raising the bar in customer experience,” adding 20 new permitting staffers — because nothing says efficiency like hiring more bureaucrats.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has more city business than we thought
Ladra can’t help but wonder how many of those are going to be specific to the new Permitting Assistance Program, a concierge service to help businesses “open faster.” That must be real music to developers’ ears. It’s not for residents who still have to wait 10 months to get a fence approved. No, it’s another shortcut for friends with projects to get rubber-stamped while neighbors who don’t like the latest oversized box on their block get left holding the bag.
Vince Lago and Mark Trowbridge during the COVID pandemic.
Lago got misty remembering the late Chamber CEO Mark Trowbridge , who died in February after battling blood cancer, and even proposed naming a new downtown park after him, the location of which will be determined later after consulting with Trowbridge’s family. The mayor called it “a symbolic gesture to recognize his extraordinary impact… someone who helped shape the heart of our city.”
It was a touching moment. One touching moment.
Then, he welcomed lobbyist Jorge Arrizurieta as the Chamber’s new boss. Yes, that Jorge Arrizurieta — Lago’s buddy and longtime political insider who has “big shoes” to fill — probably with PAC money and influence-peddling.
Arrizurieta has served on the board of directors for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and was a Trustee of the Miami-Dade County Public Health Trust. He was Lago’s appointment to the city’s board of adjustments — until someone notified them that he no longer lives in Coral Gables. He is so in Lago’s pocket that he once filed an ethics complaint against activist Maria Cruz, accusing her, of all things, of being an unregistered lobbyist.
It was legally insufficient because it was a lie. Cruz was not a lobbyist because she is not paid to represent any entity. She represents herself and the interest of certain Gables residents. She might be a pain in the, er, neck to some politicos (read: Lago), but she ain’t a lobbyist by any measure. And Ladra suspects that both Arrizurieta and Lago, whose permission he must have sought to file the complaint, know this.
But the people in the audience at the Biltmore Sept. 18 probably don’t know anything about it.
Lago also welcomed attorney Maria Garcia — a partner at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton — as the chamber’s new chair and presented former chair, Addys Kuryla, with a key to the city.
And of course, the mayor wrapped it all in centennial bunting.
“As we enter our second century, we do so with clarity of purpose. I will continue to lead with civility and transparency,” he said, then went off script. “But I will not bend the knee when I see something wrong. I will continue to lead as I believe the city deserves leadership. We must be strong and make the decisions that are sometimes unpopular.
“No matter the pressure, no matter what they say and what they do.”
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago scores trifecta on post-election revenge tour
Ladra half expected him to give Political Cortadito and the Coral Gables Gazette a shout-out, like he does at every commission meeting.
So, the gist is that the City Beautiful is 100, and in Lago’s telling, that’s thanks to his civility, transparency, and “focus.” What he didn’t mention is his reputation for hardball politics, his cozy developer ties, or his barely disguised itch for higher office.
So yeah, the state of the city — at least the part Lago wants you to see — is business-friendly, developer-friendly, and Lago-friendly. The rest of us are just supposed to clap politely.

If you want more of this kind of independent, watchdog reporting that takes the spin out of local government, help Ladra with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here.

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Miami loves being at the top of lists. Best beaches. Best nightlife. Most international flights. But now we get to add a new crown jewel: world’s riskiest real estate bubble.
A new report from the Swiss banking giant UBS ranked Miami at the very top of 20 global cities in its annual Global Real Estate Bubble Index — meaning our overheated, over-priced, over-hyped housing market is now officially the most vulnerable in the world.
Congratulations to us!
This is what happens when you mix runaway insurance premiums, ballooning condo fees, climate risk, and developers who think they’re selling magic beans instead of bricks and mortar.
Read related: Coral Gables commission ‘fires’ development watchdog P&Z member
The bubble bursting risk score was set at 1.73. Anything over 1.5 is “high risk.” It’s a little bit smaller than last year’s, but still the worst in the world. Median sale prices have dropped to $595,000 in July, down from $640,000 a year earlier. Homes are sitting unsold for months longer than they used to, and sellers are cutting deals below asking. There were 224,165 homes for sale in Florida in July, up 9.3 percent from the same time in 2024.
It’s a steep fall for a city that just a couple years ago was the poster child of the pandemic boom, flooded with remote workers fleeing lockdowns. Tech bros from California and New York snapped up Brickell condos like they were fresh bagels from Dyker Park Bagels. Back then, properties disappeared in bidding wars before the ink was dry. Now? Listings are piling up like sandbags before a hurricane.
UBS analysts warn that Miami probably won’t see a 2008-style collapse. There’s still that tax-friendly, coastal-paradise shine. But affordability is at an all-time low, speculation has divorced prices from reality, and Florida as a whole has shed more than $100 billion in housing market value in just the past year. Miami’s housing market reported the lowest price growth since 2012 at less than 2%.
And Miami isn’t alone. Tokyo and Zurich also landed in the “high risk” zone, while LA, Dubai and Amsterdam are considered “elevated.” But our Magic City stands out as the epicenter of volatility — once the boomtown of the pandemic, now a case study in how quickly the party can end when the bills come due.
So, Miami, pop the champagne if you want. We’re No. 1 again. Just don’t expect to find affordable housing when you stumble home.
Read related: Miami Dade College gifts Donald Trump land for his library — and a hotel
And you know what’s coming next: The mayor and commissioners will act like they didn’t see this report. Instead, they’ll blame their predecessors, Tallahassee, or even the condo boards — anyone but the developers and speculators who bankroll their campaigns.
Don’t be surprised if we see a ribbon-cutting for another luxury tower before anyone at City Hall admits the market is teetering.

If you want more of this kind of independent, watchdog journalism — and less of the spin — help Ladra keep the lights on (and the cafecito flowing) with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Drop a little love here.

The post We’re No. 1! Real estate experts say Miami’s housing bubble is about to pop appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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We all knew it was coming, but Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava made it official Wednesday, wading into the Miami mayoral election, backing her political BFF, County Commissioner Eileen Higgins among the 13 candidates.
Nobody is surprised. But the timing might be key: It comes 12 hours after a less-than-lackluster performance by Higgins at a mayoral debate hosted by the Downtown Neighbors Alliance.
Read related: One-liners and other memorable moments from Miami mayoral debate
La Alcadesa’s press shop put out a glowing endorsement calling La Gringa “ethical” and “results-driven” and listed off Levine Higgins’ greatest hits: affordable housing, smarter transit, small-business grants, tree planting, plastic-cutting, fertilizer bans. It was as if she was checking boxes. Echoing the candidate’s first video ad, Higgins “has a clear plan” to get it done, the mayor said.
“Eileen Higgins delivers for people — plain and simple,” Levine Cava gushed.
Ladra has been watching these two walk in lockstep for years. Higgins has been one of Levine Cava’s most reliable allies on the dais, backing her housing plans and climate measures and showing up for the photo-ops. They’ve practically co-hosted groundbreakings together. And they share a brain in political consultant and former Democratic Party operative Christian Ulvert.
So of course Daniella was going to bless her campaign for Miami mayor. Who else was she going to endorse? Joe Carollo? Xavier Suárez?
For her part, Higgins said she’s “honored,” for the mayor’s support. “We share a commitment to restoring trust in government and putting residents first,” she said in a statement. There was nothing about sharing the blame for a $400-million budget shortfall that caused much handwringing last month and a $93 million hole that still exists in the county coffers (more on that later). But Higgins did promise to cut red tape, bring transparency, and make City Hall “a partner, not a roadblock.”
Sounds nice, though Ladra will believe it when she sees it. City Hall has a way of swallowing reformers whole. Two words: Damian Pardo.
Read related: Poll has Eileen Higgins in Miami mayoral runoff with Emilio Gonzalez
Higgins is running for the seat vacated by the termed-out Mayor Francis Suarez against 12 other wannabes that include Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Mayor Sir Xavier Suárez.
A poll weeks ago had her heading into a runoff with Gonzalez, but Russell — who came in third — inched up a few notches after Tuesday’s debate, since he was more willing than Higgins to go toe to toe with ADLP and Carollo, and not afraid of throwing the dynamite.
Reached by Political Cortadito, Gonzalez told Ladra that he was not surprised that Levine Cava would support her ally.
“The same commissioner who voted for a budget that left taxpayers with a $400 million hole despite record property values,” said Gonzalez, who last week announced a bunch of law enforcement endorsements. “Where did the money go? Into waste, perks and giveaways, not into solving the real crises families are facing.”
To be fair, the county mayor and commission closed shortened the gap to about $93 million that needs to be found by midyear.
Still, Levine Cava’s endorsement gives Higgins a little extra boost as she tries to separate herself from the crowded field. She’s already got labor unions, EMILY’s List, Equality Florida and Ruth’s List in her corner, not to mention bragging rights for being the only candidate who qualified by petition signatures. And now she’s got the county mayor’s seal of approval, which comes built-in donor networks, ground game machinery and establishment clout.
But Ladra can’t help but wonder if it also comes with some baggage. Miami voters don’t exactly swoon over County Hall meddling in city business. Levine Cava has her own critics who accuse her of being too cozy with developers, too involved in the non-profit industrial complex, too slow on housing affordability, or too eager to chase headlines. If Higgins becomes “Daniella’s candidate,” she risks carrying those grievances into the city race.
That’s probably someone polled DLC’s pull in the city this last week, before making the nod public.
Read related: Partisan divide is strong in Miami mayoral race, Gonzalez vs Higgins
And let’s not forget — in Miami politics, endorsements don’t always translate to ballots. Sometimes they just remind voters of the backroom club they don’t belong to. And let’s not pretend this was some bold, game-changing move. This was expected. Levine Cava and Higgins are cut from the same cloth — progressive, policy-heavy, coalition-friendly.
Daniella just made it official with a big, warm abrazo.
The real question is whether Miami voters — who have been burned again and again by promises of “integrity” and “accountability” — are willing to believe it again.

For more independent coverage of the Miami elections, support the watchdog journalism on Political Cortadito with a contribution. Every little bit helps keep Ladra’s bark loud and her bite sharp.

The post Daniella Levine Cava gives Higgins the expected abrazo in Miami mayor’s race appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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