Miami voters polled on strong mayor issue — and First Lady Gloria Suarez

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A mobile text poll of likely voters in the city of Miami Monday not only gauged the appetite for having another ballot question on a strong mayor form of government, which failed miserably in 2018, but also for a charter change to increase the number of commissioners on the dais from five to seven.

It also tested the favorability of Gloria Suarez, wife to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Hey, if Casey DeSantis can mull a run for guv then the First Lady of Miami can certainly test the waters for a mayoral bid. Of course, this would be her husband’s idea to hold the seat for him. Yeah, he’s term limited. But if Miami changes to a strong mayor form of government, that’s a new seat he can run for again.

And that’s the main question in the poll — whether or not the voter would support a referendum on a strong mayor.

Read related: Miami’s Francis Suarez loses big as voters reject strong mayor measure

“As you may know, Miami’s mayor has limited administrative authority and serves on a part-time basis,” one panel of the poll reads. “The city’s governed by a five member city commission and the city manager — who is appointed by the mayor — oversees the day to day operations and implements city policies. This proposal would make Miami’s mayor a full-time position with administrative authority. This change would take place after a new mayor is elected in 2025.”

“Supporters say most local governments across Florida and across the country have the mayor serve as an executive with administrative authority instead of utilizing a city manager. Opponents say this would give Miami’s mayor too much power.”

That’s the best promotion they can come up with? A 15-year-old’s argument? “Everybody else is doing it.” Like Ladra’s mother used to say, “If everybody else jumps off a bridge, will you jump, too?”

The third charter change referendum referenced in the poll would be to change the commission from five to seven members, with two city-wide at-large seats. This comes at a time when the city has just settled a lawsuit filed about the redistricting, which a judge found was gerrymandered. The change should be first to increase the number of districts, at least to seven from five. Then maybe have two at-large seats. But just having two more seats to campaign for and lobby won’t mean more representation.

The first referendum referenced the establishment of an Inspector General’s office, according to a District 2 voter that shared the screenshots with Ladra. That’s a question on this August’s ballot, but it also could put the voter in the mood to saying yes to the strong mayor initiative, which 64% of the voters rejected almost six years ago.

Read related: Miami should have more commission districts for fairness, not fewer of them

Of course, Suarez has always said he would bring it back. Even on the very night he lost the initiative — which he poured at least $1.2 million into — he said he would bring it back in the future. This past January, he mentioned it in the State of the City address.

Gloria Suarez was the only non-political name that the survey sought favorability rates on. She was sandwiched between Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at the end. It started with Baby X and also included city commissioners Christine King, Joe Carollo, Miguel Gabela and Damian Pardo and former Commissioner Frank Carollo, Miami-Dade County Commissioners Eileen Higgins and Raquel Regalado, City Manager Art Noriega, former police chiefs Jorge Colina and Art Acevedo and downtown activist James Reyes, who ran for commission in District 2 last year.

The poll totally screams Francis Suarez. Nobody else would be interested in the strong mayor question and the favorability of the mayor’s wife. Because if he can get Gloria elected and pass the strong mayor initiative — which has to be the more unpopular now than ever — then his wife can resign early and he can run for strong mayor in a special election. Because everybody knows Reyes won’t stand down.

It didn’t go too well for Teresa Sarnoff when her own husband tried to plant her on the commission to replace him in 2015, to keep the graft going. But Gloria is younger, prettier. And she speaks Spanish.

Of course, there was a favorability question on the mayor himself. He just has to know if you still like him. And if you don’t, he wants to know if you ever liked him.

Lastly, not to toot Ladra’s horn, but it is an honor to make a cameo on this poll. Suarez does read Political Cortadito, after all. Or at least his consultant does.

  Francis Suarez