Not everyone is doing terribly in the economic crisis fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The four viable Miami-Dade mayoral candidates have raised more than $12 million between them, and spent at 
least $9.5 million through July 31, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed Friday with the Miami-Dade Elections Department.
The biggest bank belongs to the shadow banker: Former Mayor Alex Penelas has raised a total of $4,837,866 between his campaign account and his Bold Vision political action committee. Some of that money is from some controversial sources: $300K from pro-Cuba healthcare magnate Mike Fernandez, another $100K at least from a business partner of former Hialeah Mayor and fellow banker Julio Robaina.
Penelas has spent a little more than $3.2 million so far — about a half million in the last week of July — so he has he has almost $1.6 million left in hand. That’s almost twice as much as Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava still has at her disposal. That’s a lot to apply to the last two weeks of the 
election.
DLC raised almost $3.6 million between her account and the Our Democracy PAC. After spending more than $2.9 million, she has about $688,460 left.
Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bovo has raised more than $2 million between his account and his A Better Miami-Dade PAC — including, most recently, $50,00o0 from attorney John H. Ruiz, who just bought a new mansion in Gables Estates for $49 million. Bovo has spent more than $1.66 million — including $150,000 on TV air time and more than $100,000 on radio ad time — and still has about $368K left.
Read related: Poll has Daniella Levine Cava vs Steve Bovo in Miami-Dade mayoral runoff
And Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who is not good at asking for money and does not have a professional fundraiser for the campaign, has spent almost all of his $1.65 million nut, which includes the Imagine Miami PAC account, and is running out of money with almost $65,000 in hand.
This does not count the dark money that is being spent by the mysterious PACs. Defender la Justicia, 
which has been attacking Penelas, has raised and spent $250,000 on direct mail attacks since June 15. All of it has come from other PACs and a non profit called Florida for All, Inc. And we may never know what A Better Miami-Dade Inc. spent attacking mostly Bovo and Suarez because they don’t have to file campaign finance reports.
By the time the first round is over Aug. 18, at the rate these wannabe mayors are shelling it out, it’s likely that the total investment from all of them is more than $15 million. By the time the general comes around in November it will be upwards of $20 million.
That’s some economic stimulus at a very important time.
Big 4 Miami-Dade mayoral candidates together raise $12 million plus for race added by Ladra on
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