Only in Florida can candidates raise real money for an election that hasn’t been called, for a seat that’s already empty, in a district that will go unrepresented when the Legislature gavels in this year.
Welcome to House District 113 — where democracy is on layaway.
Nearly two months after Rep. Vicki Lopez vacated the seat for her new perch on the Miami-Dade Commission, Gov. Ron DeSantis still hasn’t set a special election. No dates. No calendar. No timeline. Just a shrug from Tallahassee while Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, Brickell and other parts of Miami head into session with exactly zero representation.
But don’t worry — the candidates are already spending like Election Day is tomorrow.
Read related: Ron DeSantis leaves HD 113 without a voice because he can — as always
The first real campaign finance reports are in, and they show a full-blown race forming around a contest the governor hasn’t bothered to schedule. It’s like watching horses sprint toward a starting gate that hasn’t been built.
On the Republican side, real estate broker Frank Lago is sprinting out front, hauling in more than $138,000 in his first reporting period between his campaign account and his political action committee, Friends of Frank Lago — a hefty sum for a special election that exists only in theory. But of course, he is the establishment favorite and already has Lopez’s endorsement. Here they are enjoying the holiday activities at Bayfront Park.
Lago’s first report shows a $25K self-loan and $5K from himself and family members. But a good chunk of the rest comes from real estate developers (like $10K from Bluenest Development) business magnates (like $10K from gasoline mogul Max Alvarez), and lobbyists.
Clearly, certain interests aren’t waiting on the governor’s calendar to invest.
Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro , who resigned in 2018 for a losing campaign for congress, isn’t far behind, mostly thanks to a $100,000 self-loan. Barreiro, who owns a Medicaid and Medicare certified home healthcare company, only collected $4,800 additional dollars, none of it from inside the district. And he has another $2,000 check from a Miami Beach real estate investor to his PAC, Transparency in Government.
This is what happens when the GOP machinery backs another candidate.
Meanwhile Tony Diaz, a small-business owner itching to be elected to something, doesn’t care what the party wants and is also mostly self-funding his campaign. More than $26,000 of his $34,000 haul in the first report is his own money. He is running a leaner operation — and bought a banner ad on Political Cortadito. (Gracias, Tony.) The owner of a print shop and burgeoning boutique farmer, Diaz is running his own campaign and will lean a lot on earned and social media. He has an active Instagram account where he is pitching himself as the anti-corruption, anti-development, families-first outsider candidate.
More recently, Diaz has sent out birthday mailers, but those will be reflected in the next campaign finance report due in April. On one side, they provide voters with a happy birthday message and his phone number. “Call or text me if there is anything I can do to make your day more special,” it says. On the other, they have “Fishy Frank” Lago. That’s Tony’s nickname for him. Ladra wishes she had thought of it.
Read related: Three wannabes are vying for House seat 113 — but there’s no election yet
“I’m Fishy Frank and my developer friends and I would have sold Florida for so much money if it wasn’t for that meddling Diaz,” says the back side of the mailer, with and image Lago hanging off a lighthouse. It’s cartoonish. But memorable.
“Florida is not for sale,” is his tagline.
On the Democratic side, Gloria Romero Roses, an assisted living facility operator and longtime political presence — she ran for Congress in 2012 against former U.S. Rep. David “Nine Lives” Rivera — leads the blue primary field with roughly $65,000 raised between her campaign account and her PAC, Moving Miami Forward — Pa’lante Miami. A little less than half, or $30K, is a loan to herself. Her donor list reads like a Democratic Rolodex — mayors, former mayors, progressive donors, and familiar political names. But few gave the maximum $1,000.
Romero Roses’ haul came in just over 140 contributions. Lago, on the other hand, collected twice as much with 120 donations because most of his checks are for the $1,000 maximum.
Meanwhile, only five of the 72 contributions reported by Justin Mendoza Routt, leader of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats, were for the full $1,000 allowed, including one from himself and one from a relative in D.C. His is a more modest but active grassroots haul of $15,826 — proof that even youth organizers are campaigning for an election date still floating somewhere in the governor’s imagination.
But Mendoza Routt also has Christian Ulvert as his campaign consultant — fresh off several wins, including the historic Miami mayoral election that went to Eileen Higgins — which means access to several different PACs that can be tapped for this race.
Mendoza Routt, too, is advertising on Political Cortadito. So nobody should be suprised if Ladra roots for a Diaz-Mendoza ticket in the general.
Both Romero Roses and Mendoza Routt spoke earlier this month at the Coral Gables Democratic Club.
Read related: Two more jump in: Bruno Barreiro, Gloria Romero Roses join HD 113 race
All of this campaign activity is happening against the backdrop of a vacant seat that will remain empty throughout the upcoming legislative session. That means no committee assignments. No district advocacy. No voice when budgets are written, bills are amended, or carve-outs are negotiated.
In Tallahassee, relationships built during committee weeks often matter more than votes on the floor. HD 113 won’t even be in the room.
And the kicker? Everyone knew Lopez was headed to the county commission. This special election could have been called the moment her resignation letter hit the inbox. Instead, DeSantis did what he has done repeatedly across the state: delay, delay, delay — until it suits him.
Legislation has already been filed this session to stop exactly this kind of gubernatorial foot-dragging. But of course, HD 113 won’t have a representative present to vote on it.
Ladra can’t help but admire the efficiency. Candidates are raising money. Donors are investing. Consultants are strategizing. Voters are waiting. And the governor? Still staring at his calendar like it’s a Magic 8 Ball.
Will there be an election? Eventually. Will HD 113 get representation this session? Absolutely not.
But at least the campaign finance reports are on time.
You can help get more independent, watchdog government reporting of our local government and political campaigns to our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Ladra thanks you for your support.
The post Campaign contributions flow for HD 113 election that doesn’t exist — yet appeared first on Political Cortadito.
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