Miami Beach mayor’s post costs Philip Levine plenty

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Millionaire Philip Levine‘s considerable campaign investment was apparently another smart business move, as evidenced Tuesday when the political neophyte media mogul won the Miami Beach mayoral race outright, without a need for a runoff, with just over 50 percent of the vote.

Fifty point 48, actually.

At one point, it was 52.44% when it was just absentee ballots and early voting.

I guess that’s what you get when you spend $1 million and a half or $2 mil on your ambition.

Commissioner Michael Gongora, who had hoped for another two weeks and a round two — because you bet your life it would have made a difference — is out. So is tennis-pro-turned-entertainer Steve Berke, who scored a measly 12 percent even though he was Ladra’s favorite.

Neither one of them had $266 to pay for each vote. That’s about what Levine — who proudly funded his own campaign — spent, at least, when you divide just $1.5 million (to be safe) with 5,639 votes that went his way. It was probably more.

And it’s definitely the most that anyone has spent on a mayoral election in Miami Beach. This is at the Julio Robaina county election level.

And that’s just on the official campaign reports, which may not include things like a bicycle for this lady on YouTube, who said that Levine bought her a bike. Or the dress he reportedly bought for one or two seniors who had nothing to wear to their “senior prom,” the one he paid for at the convention center.

It is estimated that Levine spent as much as ten times as much as Gongora on this campaign — much of it smearing the now former commissioner. And the thing is, as a businessman, one would think he expects a return on his investment. He didn’t get rich throwing his money away, right?

So, what can we expect now that Mayor Levine has been elected?

Expect more inside deals for his kingmaker, lobbyist and campaign consultant David Custin, who represented the two truck companies that got an increase in their fee approved earlier this year. I expect Custin and attorney JC Planas to get richer.

Expect a full blown campaign for strong mayor within the year, once Levine realizes that what he really wants to be is City Manager Jimmy Morales.

Expect the aide to Commissioner Jonah Wolfson, who took paid leave to stump for Levine, will have a quick promotion while the aide to Commissioner Dee Dee Weithorn, who took unpaid leave and sent letters out urging people to vote for Gongora, will be sitting on the unemployment line.

Expect Wolfson to get cockier and meaner.

Expect Ladra and independent bloggers and journalists — heck, even the Miami Herald, who is also apparently biased as far as Levine is concerned — to be shut out as often as possible and to have a hard time obtaining public records or getting any answers to any questions or even a statement from the city’s top elected official outside of a public forum.

But there is a silver lining, perhaps. Because I also expect Mayor Matti Bower and Commissioner Jorge Exposito to win their respective runoffs, despite Levine’s threats, er, I mean promises to back his slate mates and stack that commission. He will not be as happy with them by his side on the dais.

And Micky Steinberg, the wife of former State Rep. Richard Steinberg seems like an independent-minded woman who isn’t tied to anyone or anything. She may win, too.

And, according to several political observers that I’ve talked to, Miami Beach is now sort of under a microscope. They at least got Ladra’s attention.

So expect more coverage.

  Philip Levine