He has not endorsed colleague Jorge Fors in the county commission race
One would surely expect someone like Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo, a Trumpster sell-out who posts memes promoting the big lie on social media, to endorse someone like Renier Diaz de la Portilla, who has waged a race-baiting, false campaign against Miami-Dade County Judge Fred Seraphin.
One might even expect Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has become something of a snake oil salesman and national spokesman for cryptocurrency, to endorse the Fredo of the DLP dynasty. After all, Suarez needs big brother Alex Diaz de la Portilla‘s vote on the city commission.
And Baby X has already sold his soul to the devil (read: Jorge Mas).
Read related: New Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has ‘friends’ in all the wrong places
But Vince Lago? The even-tempered mayor of Coral Gables with the open house days at his office and the environmentally friendly legislation? The one who used to have a political future?
Even though Lago is a Republican and ADLP was seen at his election victory party last year, this endorsement that showed up on a mailed flyer last week has surprised many people.
It’s particularly perplexing because (1) Lago didn’t have to endorse anyone yet since there will be a runoff in that race and (2) he hasn’t endorsed his own colleague, Gables City Commissioner Jorge Fors, in the District 6 county commission race, with a far greater impact on the city than a judicial race.
Could that be because Alex Diaz de la Portilla is supporting Kevin Marino Cabrera?
Lago did not call or text Ladra back over more than a week. He used to say he would always be accessible. He doesn’t say anything now. Is he maybe ashamed of the endorsement? Could he be regretting it? He obviously doesn’t want to talk about it. Maybe he hoped nobody would notice?
Read related: Renier Diaz de la Portilla uses brother’s PAC to attack with lie in judicial race
Or could it be that Renier Diaz de la Portilla used it without Lago’s permission? It’s not like he hasn’t done that before. A hit piece against Judge Seraphin quotes an assistant public defender who said she had no idea her words would be used in his judicial campaign. And in 2020, when he ran for Miami-Dade commissioner against Eileen Higgins, he used a Miami Herald photograph without the photographer’s or paper’s knowledge or consent.
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Baby DLP is also a known liar. He is lying about Judge Seraphin — who made Miami-Dade history by becoming the county’s first Haitian-American judge when he was first appointed to the bench in 2001 — in a race-baiting ad about a false arrest. He lied when he said in a forum that he tried a dozen cases successfully (it’s more like five). He lied when he told people he resigned from the public defender’s office. He was fired.
There are so many reasons not to back Diaz de la Portilla that one has to wonder why Lago took the political risk and walked out on this limb. Was he asked by his own baby brother, a lobbyist who was having lunch with Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla when h e was slapped by CJ Gimenez at Morton’s Steakhouse in February. Was it a favor to BFF Francis?
Was it a nod to the Miami commissioner himself? Remember, Alex Diaz de la Portilla was one of the bad boys at the mayor’s re-election victory party last year. The Dean had shown up to help at the end of the campaign and on Election Day.
Is this endorsement the favor you owed him?
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