MIAMI — Alex Díaz de la Portilla is among the 13 candidates running for Miami mayor on Nov. 4.
De La Portilla, who was born in Miami and is the son of Cuban exiles, is a former Miami commissioner who served from 2020 to 2023 when Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him over a corruption case that prosecutors later dropped.
De La Portilla, a Florida International University and University of Miami graduate, was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1994 to 2000. He also served as a member of the Florida Senate from 2000 to 2010 and was the majority leader of the Florida Senate from 2008 to 2010.
De La Portilla, who lives in Allapattah, ran for reelection in 2023, but the city’s voters elected Miguel Gabela, who represents the city’s District 1, which covers Flagami, Allapattah, and areas of Little Havana. He has been working as a political consultant since Aug. 1, 2024.
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OTHER MAYORAL CANDIDATES
The other 12 candidates in the nonpartisan race are Alyssa Crocker, Christian E. Cevallos, Eileen Higgins, Elijah John Bowdre, Emilio González, Joe Carollo, June Savage, Kenneth DeSantis, Ken Russell, Laura Anderson, Michael A. Hepburn, and Xavier L. Suarez.
Campaign funding: The initial reports filed on campaign monetary contributions showed Higgins, the Miami-Dade County commissioner who represents District 5, was at the top with $88,325. Russell, a former Miami commissioner, followed with about $74,860, and González with $69,280.
Name recognition: Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is not related to newcomer Kenneth DeSantis, endorsed González, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and fellow Republican who served as Miami’s city manager from 2018 to 2020.
Suarez, who served as Miami mayor from 1985 to 1993 and from 1997 to 1998, is the father of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
More legal trouble: Carollo, who served as Miami mayor from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2001, also has an arrest record. In 2001, police officers arrested him for domestic violence, and he agreed to attend anger management classes.
Later in 2023, a federal jury in civil court sided with two businessmen who won $63.5 million in damages against Carollo for “weaponizing” code enforcement to violate their rights after they supported one of his political opponents.
INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC
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