Gimenez hires "deputy mayor"

This breaking news just in: An hour or two after Jose Mallea called Ladra to tell her he was only going to be the interim chief of staff for new Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Ladra gets the word that Key Biscayne Village Manager Genaro “Chip” Iglesias — the mayor’s former chief of staff when he […]

Campaign man turns lobbyist

The heated campaign for county mayor seems to beaten down JC Flores. He’s done with political promotion, he says. Now he wants to promote to politicos. After what some might call his greatest achievement ever — taking an underdog candidate with somewhat lackluster public speaking skills to the second highest post in the state — […]

Oath taken today, test tomorrow

Although he has been at work since the day after the election and was sworn in privately so he could really start talking with authority to the unions and his staff, Mayor Carlos Gimenez (photographed here sitting next to his wife, Lourdes, between speeches) was sworn in at a public ceremony Wednesday that was more […]

The tiny margin that mattered

The high-priced consultants and image brokers, communicators and veteran political advisers to our new mayor Carlos Gimenez certainly helped him win that narrow victory last week against the one-time front runner with three times the bankroll. But, in the end, despite what some 1A stories may say, the win came down to Hialeah’s own team […]

Gimenez officially mayor Friday

In a quick and private, informal ceremony, Carlos Gimenez is expected to be sworn in this afternoon in front of his wife, his parents, his mother-in-law, his sister-in-law — all the retirees, essentially — and Judge Ivan Fernandez, who will administer the oath and make him the mayor. Photographed here at his victory party with […]

‘Neutral’ activist worked for mayor

The chairwoman of the Miami Voice recall PAC, Vanessa Brito, has repeatedly said she was going to stay neutral in the mayoral race and has been made a media darling — including a Best Local Activist nod from New Times, which apparently does not vet its best candidates — for her role (read: paid Norman […]

AB vote split is good for Gimenez

The absentee ballot count in the Miami-Dade mayoral race is in and the split is almost 50/50 — which bodes very well for former county commissioner Carlos Gimenez. Ladra is going to predict now that Mayor Gimenez wins by more than five points. Former Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina, and his expensive absenteel ballot machinery, had […]

Two hours more hours to vote

The biggest problem in the Carlos Gimenez mayoral campaign came right before noon today: rain. The wet weather is expected to affect the small “rush” of voters who typically go to their Election Day precincts to vote. And turnout has never been more important in a race than it is today. Of course it’s desireable […]

Radio to retract race reprimands

Univision Radio is going to have to eat some cuervo on Election Day. And front-running candidate Carlos Gimenez couldn’t buy better advertising. After being accused of having a slant for Julio Robaina, the station will have to admit that two of it’s veteran talkers, Oscar Haza and Roberto Rodriguez-Tejera, basically lied live on their programs […]

Another cool $1 mil in mayoral race

The campaign finance reports were finally posted online by the elections department late Monday afternoon and it shows that at least another cool million was raised between both candidates in the heated Miami-Dade mayoral race. Julio Robaina is up to $1.7 million, raising $400,000 in the last three weeks. Former county commissioner Carlos Gimenez is […]