For Florida House District 118, better candidate has solid ideas, public service | Opinion

In a special election on Dec. 5, voters in Kendall and other unincorporated areas in South Miami-Dade will decide who will fill the open seat in Florida House District 118.

The vacancy was created when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed the incumbent, Republican State Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin, to become Miami-Dade’s new clerk of courts and comptroller in June.

Fernandez-Barquin had represented the district since 2018, but stepped down following the death of Harvey Ruvin, who served as clerk of courts for 28 years.

Now, the 180,000-resident district — unincorporated areas stretching from Southwest Eighth Street south through Kendale Lakes and The Hammocks to Southwest 232 Street, just west of Florida’s Turnpike to 137th Avenue and farther west in some sections — will elect a new representative. Republicans and independents make up the district’s voting power, with Democrats trailing.

Early voting is under way.

Republican Mike Redondo, a Coral Gables personal injury attorney running for public office for the first time, and Democrat Johnny Gonzalo Farias, an electrician Navy veteran and former community councilman who has previously launched two unsuccessful campaigns in Miami-Dade.

Also running is independent candidate Francisco “Frank” De La Paz, but he appears to have done little campaigning and has not filed required state financial reports. He did not meet with the Editorial Board.

Farias, running his third campaign, is a self-described grassroots candidate gathering primarily small donations to fund his bid for the seat he unsuccessfully sought against Fernandez-Barquin; earlier, he ran unsuccessfully for the Miami-Dade commissioner.

Despite those setbacks, we give Farias the edge in this race.

Both candidates appear well acquainted with the issues facing the district. Both cite the high cost of homeowners insurance and the shortage of affordable housing as the key concerns for residents.

Farias, a native of Ecuador, is passionate about addressing the needs of the district and its residents. He offered ideas to combat the financial strain on homeowners, especially older people, a group he would focus on helping if elected.

“People are not talking about culture wars,” which Farias decried. “They say they are worried about the cost of home insurance.”

He suggested creating a trust for seniors. “We have a trust for the homeless and voted for one for pets; why not create one for seniors?” Farias asked. It’s an idea worth exploring.

He also says the county must do something to ease traffic congestion in the south end. While he’s a proponent of rail, he acknowledges it may not be cost-effective at this stage. He would like to see improved bus transportation in his district in the absence of rail.

When asked how he could be effective as a member of the legislative minority, Farias responded that the concerns he would bring and the bills he would file are not partisan issues, but quality-of-life issues that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle could support.

He has collected about $100,000 in small donations, while Redondo’s donations are heftier, and his coffers are deeper at $252,000 collected.

Redondo is a conservative who believes the government should “not interfere with the free market.” The son of Cuban exiles, Redondo says he grew up in the district, but left after Hurricane Andrew in 1992; he moved back this June. He agrees with Farias that Gov. DeSantis’ culture wars are not on the tip of residents’ tongues, though Redondo seemed tongue-tied himself in discussing Florida’s “anti-woke” and “Don’t say gay” laws, never saying definitively whether he supported them when asked.

“Residents are worried about whether they can continue to afford their homes with these high insurance rates,” said Redondo, who if elected says he would brings a fresh perspective on how insurance companies work through his years dealing with them as an attorney.

As we noted in the past when we first recommended Farias, the father of five was arrested on a domestic-violence charge related to his then-teenage daughter. The charges were dismissed, and Farias and his daughter now campaign together. In 2013, he also filed for bankruptcy, which he told the Board came about because he was the victim of an investment fraud.

Redondo is a well-intentioned candidate, but should seek more seasoning, more community engagement at the local level. Too many of his responses were general in nature, indicating the lack of a deeper understanding of local issues. Farias already has experience serving a constituency with his years as a community councilman in the district.

For that extra experience and his obvious concern for those who live in the district, we give Farias the nod in this race.

In Florida House District 118 race, the Miami Herald Editorial Board recommends JOHNNY GONZALO FARIAS.