Winners and losers from Miami-Dade District 8 upset

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Commissioner-elect Daniella Levine Cava is not the only one who won Tuesday when she was able to get 52% of the vote in District 8 over incumbent Miami-Dade Commission Vice Chair Lynda Bell.

And Bell is not the only one who lost something.

Like always, there will be those who benefit from this regime change and those who suffer.

Read related story: Commission upset! Daniella Levine Cava beats Lynda Bell

So, without any further ado, Ladra presents the other, not so obvious “Winners and Losers” of the District 8 commission race.

In the winners column:

1. Organized labor. All of the employee unions supported Levine and her win shows what they can do together, said Andy Madtes, president of Local 199. “It is a big deal,” Madtes told Ladra in a telephone call from home. His heart couldn’t take being at the victory party. The win also shows other electeds what labor can do when it is focused. Congressman Joe Garcia recognized that before Levine spoke at her victory party, saying that this is what happens when firefighters, cops, nurses and other public employees work together. “The people win,” he said. This win should also demonstrate to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez that the employees’ organizations have some power. Especially now that there’s a recall effort they can get behind with the same fervor. And Ladra would not be surprised if that is why suddenly the mayor is coming to terms with some of the unions. How fortuitous for most labor unions who are in the middle of negotiations when they get this win.
2. County employees. There’s a reason organized labor was behind Levine. She offers employees hope because she has expressed a concern about the proposed police layoffs and the cuts to the fire department and libraries. Employees told Ladra at Levine’s victory event that they feel safer already.
3. Commissioners Barbara Jordan, Audrey Edmonson, Jean Monestime, Dennis Moss, Xavier Suarez and, yes, even Juan Zapata, who are sometimes in the minority, though not always together, and may now have a swing vote more often than not when bucking the mayor.
4. The Miami-Dade Democrats. This partisan group was the first group to recruit Levine Cava. Perhaps it was personal. At the time, the Dade Dems chair was Annette Taddeo, who has been tapped as the running mate for former Gov. Charlie Crist, who wants his old job back. See? Taddeo had run and lost against Bell and had taken that loss quite hard. Levine was also a darling of Democrat electeds and former electeds like Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner and former Commissioner Katy Sorenson, who left office in 2010, opening the seat for Bell to come in. Even Congressman Joe Garcia campaigned with Levine — a municipal candidate, people — and went to her victory party on Tuesday to celebrate with her. There were also a lot of blue Florida Democrats t-shirs there. Juan Cuba, executive director of the Dade Dems said this will give them new fire to “get Annette Taddeo and Charlie Crist elected” next.
5. The LGBT community. Because Lynda Bell’s far right positions on marriage equality and equal rights make her sort of like their villain. Save DADE had a phone bank for Levine and gave her their endorsement. They’ve been on board longer than the unions, since 2013. Executive Director Tony Lima, was there at the victory party with his partner and several members who had volunteered their time. Lima, photographed here with the candidate, said the LGBT community could sleep better starting Tuesday night.. “We endorsed Daniella early because of her outspoken support for LGBT equality, and we are so proud to share this win with her.”
6. The Pets’ Voice. This group, which morphed from the Pet’s Trust that passed that referendum for a no-kill shelter in 2012, helped finance ads for both Levine and another candidate in another race. The ads attacked Lynda Bell on her vote against the pet’s trust initiative and it seems pretty evident that Pets’ Voice founder Michael Rosenberg hopes Levine will bring that issue back to the dais for a reconsideration and perhaps even champion it.
7. Christian Ulvert and Matt Williams. The two campaign managers for Levine will likely be fending off job offers today.

And in the losers column:

1. Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez. Not only because he loses one of his reliable pocket commissioners, but also because he had put his support and his fundraising machinery behind Bell. This will not bode well for the mayor as he faces a recall effort with petition gathering by the time early voting starts for the general election.
2. Wayne Rosen. This millionaire private developer is Lynda Bell’s political sugar daddy. He has contributed tens of thousands to her political career — which just now ended Tuesday —  in exchange for favors, like that $5 million he almost got in bond funds for a private parking garage retail development he wants to build in Palmetto Bay.
3. Ruben Arias. Bell’s chief of staff better be updating his resume and looking for a landing spot because he is out of a job. Told you that t-shirt he wore Tuesday (photographed here) should have said “Save My Job” not “Save Our Police.”
4. Jose Luis Castillo. This is the second loss in a row for the lobbyist and campaign consultant who also ran the Vice Chair’s husband’s mayoral race in Homestead. While he may have gotten one in the win column with Commissioner Jean Monestime, that’s really the commissioner doing him a favor because former Commissioner Dorrin Rolle was never much of a threat, as evidenced with Monesteime’s 64% of the vote.

And when there are more winners than losers, it’s generally a good thing.

  Daniella Levine Cava, labor issues, Lynda Bell, Miami-Dade Democrats