Republican operative Nikki Whiting runs for commission in Coral Gables

Republican operative Nikki Whiting runs for commission in Coral Gables

The race to replace departing Coral Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez has officially become more interesting. Not because there are a lot of candidates. But because one of them actually knows what she’s doing. Dominique “Nikki” Whiting, the polished Republican communications operative whose resume reads like a tour through South Florida’s political establishment, announced this week […]

PortMiami’s new boss jumps ship before the real storm hits Miami-Dade

PortMiami’s new boss jumps ship before the real storm hits Miami-Dade

Or, “Nobody Wants to Be Captain of the Titanic” Well, that didn’t take long. Less than a week after Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava tapped Frederick Wong to serve as interim director of PortMiami, he announced he was retiring. Retiring. Just like that. After four years at the port and mere days after finally getting […]

Five Miami-Dade Commissioners were elected Tuesday — without a single vote

Five Miami-Dade Commissioners were elected Tuesday — without a single vote

Well, that was anticlimactic. Five Miami-Dade County Commission seats were effectively decided Tuesday without a single vote being cast. No debates. No attack mailers. No awkward candidate forums. No explaining controversial votes. No defending records. No pretending to suddenly care about potholes and transit. Just free passes back to County Hall for four incumbents and […]

Annette Taddeo is in and the Florida CFO race just got a lot more interesting

Annette Taddeo is in and the Florida CFO race just got a lot more interesting

Qualifying week has begun, and after weeks of speculation, former State Senator Annette Taddeo officially announced Monday that she is running for Florida Chief Financial Officer, confirming what Political Cortadito suspected all along: she wasn’t looking at the suddenly vacant Senate seat. She was looking at something much bigger. While Miami-Dade politicians have spent the […]

Coral Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez leaves dais for a ‘new Cuba’

Coral Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez leaves dais for a ‘new Cuba’

After first term, Fernandez won’t seek re-election Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is getting an early Christmas present this week. Commissioner Ariel Fernandez — a former ally who has turned into one of Lago’s biggest critics and targets — announced Monday that he will not seek reelection, ending one of the most contentious and entertaining […]

Daniella Levine Cava goes eminent domain on Fisher Island fuel farm deal

Daniella Levine Cava goes eminent domain on Fisher Island fuel farm deal

So the $400 million fuel depot deal is apparently dead. Just days after Political Cortadito asked whether Miami-Dade taxpayers were about to become the proud owners of one of the most expensive governmental “oops” moments in local history — and dopes in what looks like a long con job — Mayor Daniella Levine Cava slammed […]

After ‘time theft’ claims at Miami DDA; city offers director 5 months severance

After ‘time theft’ claims at Miami DDA; city offers director 5 months severance

The Miami Downtown Development Authority’s troubles just keep coming. At a contentious board meeting last week, DDA board members openly questioned years of negative vacation balances and what Commissioner Ralph Rosado, the DDA chairman, described as potential “time theft” involving Executive Director Christina Crespi. Now Political Cortadito has learned that on the very same day […]