A new potential challenger to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava could be the guy who used to sit in that seat: Congressman Carlos Gimenez.
This potential news was broken Friday by radio journalist Roberto Rodriguez Tejera on Actualidad Radio. He said that while regular Republicans are not terribly unhappy with La Alcaldesa, the Trump republicans expect a red wave and don’t want to miss the opportunity to gain an important local and non-partisan seat.
But he’s a congressman. He looks happy flying around with Trump and regularly making comments or accusations on Fox News. Why would he come back to County Hall?
Read related: In two months, Daniella Levine Cava raises more than $1.4M for re-election
Well, there are several legitimate reasons. One could be that his wife is sick of him traveling all the time. Gimenez is an involved abuelo who takes or picks up grandkids from school, has weekend family dinners and he might miss hanging out with his extended clan. He is one out of 435 members of the House. Here, he would be the second most powerful politician in Florida.
There are some illegitimate reasons also. He’s not as federally connected as he is locally and it’s hard to get some grift for himself or the people on the friends and family plan.
There are already some Republicans in line to run against Levine Cava in 2024. Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid is going to announce his “working man for mayor” pretty soon and he could be a legitimate challenge. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez did a poll against Levine Cava before he announced his unbelievable — no, really, who believed him? — run for president. Everybody knows it’s what Commissioner Raquel Regalado wants. Ladra keeps hearing Carlos Lopez-Cantera was thinking about it, but that was before Pedro Garcia decided not to run again for property appraiser, a post Lopez-Cantera once held and could get again. And there are those who say Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo wants a rematch, but it seems he is really grooving in Hialeah so why would he?
Levine Cava is seen as vulnerable, easy pickings. Republicans are outregistering Democrats in Miami-Dade. And Levine Cava has even upset Democrats with her failure to address the important issues while she names chiefs of social services like mini deputy mayors.
Read related: Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava aims for reelection via petition
Ladra has actually heard people say “Makes you miss Carlos Gimenez.”
People close to Gimenez laughed when Ladra asked about the possibility of a comeback. But it seemed an uncomfortable laugh. And Gimenez was in Miami Friday, making the rounds at the Latin Builders Association luncheon, just like a local candidate.
Levine Cava still aims to qualify by petition, which means she has to turn in at least 15,294 signatures — representing 1% of the county’s registered voters — by April 30, 2024.
Gimenez would likely pay the qualifying fee.
Could Carlos Gimenez come back to his old job as Miami-Dade mayor? added by Ladra on
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[…] journalist Roberto Rodriguez Tejera reported on Actualidad Radio that Giménez may run next year for Miami-Dade Mayor against incumbent Daniella […]
Carlos Gimenez is a creep. As a politician he forces companies to hire his lobbyist sons and he makes sure his worst son does not get arrested, again.
Many citizens worried and concerned about the leadership and performance of the mayor and her department directors. It seems as though their primary focus lies in their social media presence, striving to be influencers rather than actually getting work done. It is evident that the mayor and her department directors lack a sense of urgency and commitment to their responsibilities. Instead of accomplishing tangible goals and making a positive impact, they seem more focused on being social media influencers, preoccupied with garnering likes and followers.
This situation calls for a need for change. The county requires leaders who prioritize the well-being and progress of the community over personal recognition and popularity. The time has come for Republicans to step up and offer a fresh perspective, one that emphasizes accountability, efficiency, and the betterment of our city.
Ultimately, our city’s future hangs in the balance as valuable resources and opportunities are squandered due to the obsession with social media influence. It is time for citizens to demand responsible and effective leadership. Only through a change in leadership can we hope to address the missed opportunities, solve the solid waste chaos, and steer our city back towards a path of progress and prosperity.
Corrupt Carlitos likely blowing hard on this one. Since he’s a known pension collector, he hasn’t qualified for his Congressional one yet, and thus the switch back from DC to MDC doesn’t quite make $en$e.
” Will hate to have to vote for an alternative, knowing that the alternative may be a pathetic one.”
Well that pretty much sums up politics here . I do not see any winners just ” lesser ” of the evils and often not even that .
Miami politics is choices of you will lose vs you lose badly .
As you know the entire state has an insurance problem and higher property taxes are the alternative con to no state taxes because one way or another we pay .
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” The Two are Pinocchio s Mayors that can be Trusted , Miami Dade deserve BETTER !”
When I emailed Gimenez I would get a reply , total lies but a reply .
With Cava I never received a reply and do not know anyone who has .
I find her lesser of evils because for Gimenez this is a piggy bank but yes would like to see both go away and NEW people but not gong to happen.
The same bunch over and over plus often a family business is what Miami politics is .
As others have pointed out the real money is here in Miami on the local level not so much Congress .
Mayor , Commissioner even City Counsel get their ” consultation ” fees from Developers but all other types of special interest also reward them ..
Gimenez is a hypocrite who mocked the mask mandate when he was elected to Congress but here he enforced it on the street plus fines , add a three month shut down unlike rest of the state .
Cava is no winner as far as she is not hands on but I’ll take her any day over that forked tongue Gimenez plus she is not selling out to developers like EVERY Cuban Mayor does .
I have lived in MIami-Dade County for 63 years and I have had very low traditional respect for politicians in this community and all of its cities, municipalities and taxing authorities. I have never seen it worst and that is not much to say. Nothing is operating well in this County and the blame is on Levine Cave. Pure incompetency.
Whether you’re D or R or whatever, you must know Levine Cava is working. She is not an absentee Mayor or one that doesn’t really control anything – like Suárez. Giménez screwed the pooch with his votes against certification on January 6th. Let him come back to retire if he wants.
Carlos Gimenez will not run as Miami-Dade Mayor. However, sure as hell better Mayor than what we currently have. La Alcadesa is vulnerable because she has done nothing the during her term. She thinks giving money away to non-profit organizations who supposedly provide social services to the community is a major accomplishment. We all know that the majority of these organizations are ineffective. She is just doing it to collect her money after she leaves office. After all, she made her millions running her own non-profit organization. Good riddance. You made your history by becoming the County’s first female Mayor. You are an embarrassment. Time to go!
I know the Truth hurts, but can’t twist it any other way.
As a fixed-income retiree priced-out by homeowners insurance and property taxes,
I am frustrated with Levine-Cava’s lack of interest on lowering property taxes as much as possible, and increasing county budget by 20%.
Will hate to have to vote for an alternative, knowing that the alternative may be a pathetic one.
It’s much more lucrative to run “Gimenez Family Enterprises” at the local level.
But what happens to his grifting son who gets into fisticuffs at Gables eateries? Where is the grift better, Miami or DC? Tough choice.
Betting odds has him going to city of Miami in 2025. Even if he loses he stays in Congress.
The Two are Pinocchio s Mayors that can be Trusted , Miami Dade deserve BETTER !
From 2011: Carlos Gimenez Has Family Connections to a County Contractor
A possible conflict has forced Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez to sit out the awarding of a $50 million contract to a local construction company that employs his son Julio and uses his other son Carlos Jr. as its lobbyist. Munilla Construction Management submitted the lowest bid out of seven firms…
From 2014: Carlos Gimenez son’s firm got $4 million PAC repair job on the Arsht
From 2015 MIAMI (CBSMiami) — The investigation surrounding the death of bus driver Laquita Alvin has expanded with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez instructing police to examine not only how she died but also determine who may have tampered with a safety device on her bus that could have saved her life.
“The mayor has asked the police chief additionally to look at the issue of the severing of the seat alarm cords,” Miami-Dade Transit Director Ysela Llort said.
The seat alarm is designed to warn a driver if they have forgotten to engage the parking brake before trying to leave the bus.
Investigators found the cable for the seat alarm unconnected and dangling, tied in a knot, from the back of her seat. As CBS4 News first reported, in the days following the December 5 accident, Miami-Dade Transit officials ordered an immediate review of all buses with seat alarms. The survey found 92 percent of the seat alarms on county buses were broken or disabled.
The union representing bus drivers and mechanics believes the problem centers on budget cuts by the county which has left them with an aging bus fleet and not enough mechanics to fix them.
2013 Betrayed the Pets Trusts so that now, 10 years later, there are approximately 300,000 to 400,000 free roaming cats in Miami-Dade County.
He SUCKED as a self-serving Mayor, He SUCKS as a sycophant Congressman – check his voting record https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/81366/carlos-gimenez/?p=2 and he will do more damage. But the people with whom he wheels and deals don’t want voters to remember any of this..
Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami, is running for President of the USA. But why only the USA? How about General Secretary of the United Nations? Besides Crypto currency, he could espouse something profound and contemporary, above and beyond, complex but simple. We are holding our breath (but have an oxygen tank just in case).
You nailed it at “He’s not as federally connected as he is locally and it’s hard to get some grift for himself or the people on the friends and family plan.”
El vivo vive del bobo y el bobo de su bobería.
Ill take Gimenez over Levine Cava.
She has done little for the county, its a money grab for her and her folks