A forum for the candidates is scheduled Wednesday
Two of the 17 candidates for Miami-Dade sheriff — who have all been invited to a forum on Wednesday — have out-fundraised the rest by leaps and bounds, and they are exactly who everyone expected to lead the money race, which is likely to be in the millions.
Democrat James Reyes, the Miami-Dade director of public safety, has raised close to $400,000 between his campaign account and his political action committee, while Republican Joe Sanchez, a Florida Highway Patrol officer and former Miami City commissioner, raised just a little more, with XX $415,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
They also show that Reyes, who has the endorsement of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, had more cash on hand as of March 31 when you count the contributions to the campaign accounts. Reyes reported raising $90,050 while Sanchez reported $85,957 in his account.
In hand, Reyes had almost $327,000 while Sanchez had less than $290,000 in the bank.
The bulk of the contributions were reported in their respective PACs.
Read related: Joe Sanchez could join clown car of Miami-Dade sheriff candidates for 2024
Sanchez has Law and Order, which reported $126,500 in the first quarter of the year for a total of $329,300. The biggest contribution is $25,000 from retired attorney and investor David Flory, a Miami Beach resident who also once gifted $500K to the renovation of the Wright Memorial Library in his hometown of Oakwood, Ohio. After that, developer and luxury auto magnate Manny Kadre gave $20,000. The other big donors, each with $10K, are:
Developer Armando Codina
Attorney Richard Schulze
Real estate investor Moshe Popack
Gasoline mogul and developer Max Alvarez
Lobbyist Brian May
Attorney Richard Cole, senior partner at Cole, Scott and Kissane in Kendall
Coastland Properties, which purchased a $38 million development site in Doral last year
The operators of the Bayshore Drive marina and Mocca Realty each gave $7,500, loan provider Bernie Navarro gave $6,000, car mogul Mario Murgado, former Miami City Manager Joe Arriola, electrical contractor Hector Ortiz and Versailles owner Felipe Valls each gave $5,000, lobbyist and developer Ralph Garcia Toledo gave $4,000, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago gave $2,500 from his PAC and his pal, former Coral Gables Commissioner Frank Quesada, gave $2,500, too.
The bulk of the Sanchez PAC expenses, and it has spent more than $115,000, have been for campaign consultant Jesse Manzano and advertising consultant Daniel Bustamante, whose Artisan Agency worked with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez to create the “How can I help?” NFT collection. How’s that going? He’s also paid a lot of commission to fundraising consultant Brian Goldmeier, who is raking it in this year.
Reyes had a better quarter with his PAC, Miami-Dade Safe and Secure, which reported $285,000 in contributions. That’s almost three times as much as was raised in all of last year. The PAC had $87,250 when it was going to work for former Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez, whose unfortunate suicide attempt last August forced him to drop out of the race.
His biggest PAC contributors are Levine Cava, who gave $50,000 from her PAC, Our Democracy, and Broward First PAC, which gave $50,000.
Read related: Miami-Dade Sheriff’s race expands with Dem Broward candidate James Reyes
There are a bunch of Democratic Party PACs contributing. And, because Reyes has spent almost his entire professional life in Broward, there are also a bunch of Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and employees. Among those who gave generously:
Jose Vasquez, senior specialist at L3Harris Technologies gave $25,000.
Lewis Stahl, owner of NextGen Management, a medical technology company, who was ordered to federal prison in 2019 following his conviction for evading millions of dollars in personal income taxes, gave $25,000. He is also vice chairman of the Broward Sheriff’s Advisory Council.
Maurice Vaughn, owner of The Kid’s Academy, gave $24,000
Matthew Hall of EMCI Wireless in Sebring, FL, gave $10,000.
New Jersey developer Michael Fux (great name) gave $10,000.
Real estate broker Monica Veiga gave $10,000 (so did someone named Giovanni Veiga).
Geno Reofaro, CEO of SaferWatch, an app that works with law enforcement, gave $10,000.
Lobbyist Ron Book gave $5,000.
Most of the PAC’s $126,468 in expenses is for campaign consultant Christian Ulvert, communications consultant Claire VanSusteren and fundraising consultant Gregory Goddard.
Because Democrat Ricky Mitchell, a retired police officer turned funeral director, loaned himself $275,000 of the $292K he’s raised (meaning he has really only raised $17,000), the other top fundraisers in the race are all Republican:
Miami-Dade Police Maj. Jose Aragu reported raising $137,000
Attorney Ignacio Alvarez, a retired Miami-Dade Police major, reported raising $214,000
Miami-Dade Police Assistant Director Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz reported raising $166,000.
Retired Miami-Dade Police Maj. Mario Knapp reported raising $260,000
Former Police Benevolent Association President John Rivera, a retired Miami-Dade Police officer, reported raising $143,000
Miami-Dade Police Department Lt. Ernesto Rodriguez raised $175,000
A group called Citizens Defending Freedom have invited all candidates to a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Wilde Community Center in Hialeah, 1701 W 53rd Terr.
There are two forums following that one. The Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Florida and Federated Republican Women of Miami Beach will host candidates fro 4 to 6 p.m. April 28 at 1500 Ocean Drive, and the ALF-CIO and WPLG Local 10 will have a forum moderated by journalist Glenna Milberg, host of This Week In South Florida, beginning at 6:30 p.m. May 23 at 1657 NW 17 Ave.
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