After only raising a little more than $20,000 in his first month of campaigning, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro has withdrawn from the city of Miami commission race in District 3.
Happy Birthday Joe Carollo.
Barreiro had signed up to run against Miami Commissioner Crazy Joe last month and had said that Carollo needs to be replaced. But he sent a letter of withdrawal on Friday. Ladra guesses he will now throw his considerably light weight behind either Rodney Quinn Smith or Andriana Oliva, two nobodies who hope that Carollo discontent gives them an opportunity to get on the commission.
Know more: He’s in! Bruno Barreiro files to run against Joe Carollo in city of Miami
Barreiro did not immediately return a call to explain why he suddenly pulled out. Is he running for congress again? Does he want his old seat back?
Or is it the lackluster showing in his first month of campaign fundraising that turned him off?
Barreiro not only raised a measly $22,350 during the month of June, according to the campaign finance reports, but the money also came from a single source — the owners of Ball and Chain, the famous and iconic Little Havana bar that Carollo has been trying to shut down since he was elected in 2017. Owner Bill Fuller, who owns real estate in Little Havana, gave $10,000 in $1,000 maximum checks from multiple businesses and his partner Zachary Bush gave another $10,000 from his businesses.
Meanwhile, Carollo is just raking it in. He raised more than half a million in June — $70K for his campaign account and $456,500 for his Miami First political action committee.
Know more: Joe Carollo collects $763K in just two months for Miami re-election race
“It was really disheartening to see all these people come out to support Joe, even people we know,” Bill Fuller told Ladra.
Fuller and another business partner, Martin Pinilla, have sued Carollo in federal court, claiming that he has violated their freedom of speech because the scrutiny and closing of the bar are politically motivated. Fuller and Pinilla had a fundraising event in 2017 for Alfie Leon, who almost beat Carollo, who won the runoff by less than 300 votes.
“It’s a sad day for District 3,” said Bush, who felt that Barreiro was the best chance to unseat Carollo. He is now looking at the other two candidates.
“I’m hopeful that one of them steps up because the neighborhood needs change.”
And he’s out! Bruno Barreiro drops bid vs Joe Carollo for Miami commission added by Ladra on
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