Between them, the 12 candidates for the four Miami-Dade constitutional offices on the ballot — minus the sheriff’s race — have raised more than $1 million, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.
Half of that is thanks to former State Rep and former Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson, who loaned himself $250,000 for his campaign for tax collector. He raised another $80,400 and rolled $174,200 from his previous campaign coffers for a total of $504,600. He’s the only Democrat in the race, so far.
Everyone else just pales in comparison. Even Hialeah Councilman Bryan Calvo, who will vacate his seat for this race, raised only $11,000 in the first quarter of the year, $10K coming from Benjamin Leon of Leon Medical Centers in ten $1,000 checks. Dariel Fernandez raised $2,500 and Ricardo Gomez reported raising $1,000. The three Republicans will have an August primary.
Read related: Joe Sanchez, James Reyes raise the most funds for Miami-Dade sheriff’s race
Miami-Dade Clerk and Comptroller Juan Fernandez-Barquin, a Republican and the only incumbent in the constitutional contests, raised $130,300. Democrat Sen. Annette Taddeo, who has challenged him, reported raising $28,637 in her campaign account and $77,000 in her political action committee, Accountable Miami-Dade. The big donors to her PAC include spice king Joseph Badia, who gave $25,000, and Nelson Mezerhane — a former executive of Venezuela’s Banco Federal accused in 2015 of stealing millions by shifting funds into offshore account — who was able to spare $20,000.
In the property appraiser’s race, former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado has raised $96,200 in 138 separate donations since October, which include a few small bundles: $5,000 from contractor Alejandro Rodriguez, $4,000 from David Medina. And Marisol Zenteno has raised $32,700 with no obvious bundles and in mostly small contributions. Only eight of the 201 checks she has collected since September are for the $1,000 maximum.
Read related: Miami-Dade Mayor, Commissioners raise $1.7 mil plus in three months
A third candidate, Armando Martinez, Jr., a “property exemptions evaluator” who owns Martinez and Associates Appraisal Group, threw his hat into the race this month and has not reported any campaign finance activity.
In the race for Supervisor of Elections, as Political Cortadito previously reported, State Rep. Alina Garcia would be leading the money race with $221,700 between her campaign account and her PAC, Florida Always First– except that former State Rep. and lawyer to the pols JC Planas has $500,000 squared away in a PAC from real estate investor Eduardo Fernandez.
The next campaign finance reports are due in mid July for the quarter that ends in June.
4 Miami-Dade constitutional campaigns raise $1.5M+ for historic 2024 ballot added by Ladra on
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