Primary elections bring few local surprises, leaving general on the hook

Primary elections bring few local surprises, leaving general on the hook
  • Sumo

Sorry Ladra has had to take a week to recover from the primaries and, yes, I am talking mostly about congressional district 27, where I was part of the campaign. My candidate came in third and, even though she was always the underdog and most expected her to do worse, it still hurts a bit.

But not as much as the dread of November, Donna Shalala Maria Elvira Salazar congressional district 27where I have to choose between Republican Fidel fawner Maria Elvira Salazar and former UM queen bitch Donna Shalala.

I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

The rest of the primary was oh so blah — Andrew Gillum‘s upset win being the only real bright light — that there was just no urgency to report or analyze the results or local impact or winners and losers. Even though former Miami Beach mayor Phillip Levine sure lost — even in hometown Miami-Dade — but I’ll get to gloat another day.

To be fair, on election night I was also watching two House races in real time: District 115, where I live and where Republican nominee Vance Aloupis rode his attack ads and establishment money to a short-lived victory — Jeffrey Solomon is poised to take this seat blue in November — and District 103, Cindy Polo Frank Mingo House 103where Cindy Polo beat the plantidate and is well on her way to becoming a state rep. Former Miami Lakes Councilman Frank “Fat Chance” Mingo just got a new nickname.

Read related: Possible plantidate forces Democrat primary in House 103 for the GOP

True, there was that empty gut feeling after every county commission incumbent — even former Sen. Javier Souto, who is really going to embarrass himself now — won re-election. The problem is that nobody is getting serious about putting up real candidates and then giving them the support they need to win.

Ladra was surprised as anyone that Analeen “Annie” Martinez, the commissioner’s daughter, was unable to win the Republican primary, even though she was better financed than anyone by far — and than Juan Fernandez-Barquin by at least $100,000 not counting any PACs — and, one would think, have the more experienced campaign team. But Martinez came in 23 points behind Fernandez-Barquin, who got 44% of the vote.

There were some happy results, including David Perez for the Democratic nominee in the Senate race against Manny Diaz Jr. (more on that later), Jason Pizzo and Dotie Joseph over incumbents Daphne Campbell and Roy Hardemon, respectively, and former Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco over the other two duds in that race. Grieco (photographed right) becomes the defacto state rep because that district is just bluer than the sky and will go Dem in Novem. I like Mike. I hope he is basking in this, which is a double whammy for Levine.

Now we move on to the general, which has to live up to all the 2018 election hype all by itself because he primary fizzled. Which races become important to Ladra now?

Read related: Michael Grieco best choice in House 113 race

Well, the governor’s race. I am Team Andrew and want to start looking into that election and those issues. Because almost anyone is better than Ron De Santis anyway. And, while I have to watch FL27 as a reluctant voter, I am more interested now in FL26 as a blogger and political junkie. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has a real chance to take this seat away from incumbent Republican Carlos Curbelo, if she does it right. Part of that will be to expose him for the sniveling, lying opportunist that he is. Call me, Debbie.

We are also looking forward to the contest between Sen. Annette Taddeo and Republican superwoman Marili Cancio. Ladra sure hopes Annette is not taking her for granted. People tend to like Marili. Lots of people. Purple people, too. Even I like Marili.

Read related: GOP’s Marili Cancio vs Dem Sen. Annette Taddeo in ‘year of the woman’

But at the state level, Ladra is, as promised months ago, a single issue voter. Parkland is still fresh in my mind. Maybe it’s because my daughter was at a very similar high school in South Florida that day. Maybe its from the way I saw young people get woke. Maybe it was from watching Republican after Republican deny legitimate and worthy amendments and turn what could have been a national model for gun reform into a way to put guns in schools.

The real test of the impact the school shooting will have on elections is not in the primary, after all. It is in November. And it will be difficult for many of us to support any Republican this year because of their behavior after Parkland.

But it will be fun to watch them try.

3 Responses to "Primary elections bring few local surprises, leaving general on the hook"

  1. Couldn’t agree with you more on Shalala. We had so many better candidates in 27 and picked the worst one. I’m voting for Salazar.

    Gillum is going to go down in flames, as is any other candidate that got the Sanders endorsement. The communist socialist Maduro mailers are writing themselves, and Florida Dems are fucking themselves by bringing that man down here. Easy win for Desantis in a state where Trump is popular.

    Down the ballot, good riddance for Daphne Campbell. Most corrupt politician I’ve ever seen. Though I will say there is something just off about Pizzo, I can’t put my finger on it. Listen to him speak and you’ll see it. Keep an eye on that guy.

    One race I was very disappointed in was Senate 36. The kid that was running against Perez, Santos, knocked on my door and we had a good 30 minute conversation about a range of topics. When I saw him I thought he was like 18 years old, he looked so young, but he blew me away with how intelligent and kind he was. This kid is going places, I was sad that he didn’t pull it out.

    And finally WHY THE HELL did the Beach put Grieco back in office??? Talk about a dislikable human being, Christ. Not that any of the candidates were great, but Weithorn was certainly a better pick.

  2. I could not agree with you MORE on Shalala. She is NO Democrat. She’s given to Republican PACs; supported guns; sided with business over janitors at U. of M.; makes money from big healthcare providers whose boards she sits on; pretends to be an animal lover while expanding the secretive horrendous vivisection that goes on at the U. of M. (cats caged crawling up the sides meowing for attention to be petted and employees NOT allowed to pet and then they’re KILLED for experiments – NOT an animal lover in my book!) and sold out the Rock Pinelands for pennies to a welfare developer for a Walmart effectively killing and probably driving into extinction numerous species of flora, fauna and animal life as well as making life in traffic even MORE miserable for the poor folks living in the 152 St. area. It’s a travesty she won. I am a Democrat but I WILL NOT CAST A VOTE FOR THAT TROLL. Yes Ladra I too live in District 27. We’re getting a RepubliCON either way so may as well vote for the REAL one vs. the troll pretending to be a Democrat. Shalala is DemoCRUD. She couldn’t hold a candle to the likes of Booker and Harris and how they’re doing battle FOR US today against Kavanaugh. Shalala would NEVER risk herself she’s too selfish.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.