In Miami commission District 1, the Herald recommends a fresh face in politics | Opinion
.png "Miami Commission District 1 candidates Marvin Tapia, Mercedes Rodriguez and Miguel Gabela.")
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Editorial Board City of Miami 2023 Election Recommendations
In advance of the upcoming City of Miami elections on November 7, 2023, the Editorial Board interviewed political candidates to better understand their views on various issues and how their policies will affect their constituents. The goal is to give voters a better idea of who’s the best candidate for each race. Read our recommendations for Miami below:
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The race for Miami City Commission District 1 is complicated by the presence of Alex Diaz da la Portilla, who was the incumbent commissioner until his arrest and removal from office in September on a slew of corruption charges. In true Miami fashion, he is still running for reelection.
The charges are serious. They include money laundering, bribery and official misconduct.
Diaz de la Portilla, a former state legislator, denies any wrongdoing and vows to fight, but the needs of the district continue unabated. Its residents deserve representation by someone who isn’t bogged down in criminal charges that, if true, would make Diaz de la Portilla wholly unqualified to serve. If he wins, it’s possible the governor will simply suspend him again.
Four others are running: auto parts retailer Miguel Gabela; retired police officer Francisco Pichel; Miami-Dade County employee Mercedes Rodriguez and local business investor Marvin Tapia. We believe Tapia, chairman of Miami-Dade County’s Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, is the best bet in a district that so clearly needs a fresh start.
The District 1 seat has been empty since Diaz de la Portilla’s suspension on Sept. 15. Early voting starts Oct. 28. The election is Nov. 7.
Tapia, 36, has never run for office but has invested time in the community through the advisory board and as spokesman for Little Havana’s monthly street festival, Viernes Culturales. Born in Colombia, he came to Miami when he was 2 and he’s been active in promoting Little Havana.
Previously employed by UPS, he runs his own company, Franco Investment Group, investing in local businesses. He identified lack of representation in the district and affordability as residents’ two top concerns. He emphasized the need for transparency at City Hall, especially after the charges against Diaz de la Portilla.
“I want [residents] to know that this is not how the process is supposed to work. And that the last four years are not are not the way that Miami should be running,” he said, adding that Diaz de la Portilla’s situation amounts to “an abuse. It is a disrespect to our city as a whole.”
The District 1 race, like others for the City Commission, was part of a fight over whether the city’s voting maps were racially gerrymandered. For a time, some district lines were uncertain. Over the summer, the commission-drawn version of the maps prevailed in court, a victory for the people in power.
Gabela, initially drawn out of the district until a judge declared he is legally a candidate, has been outspoken about the need to “stop corruption in the city of Miami.” While we agree, and appreciate his passion on the topic, his outbursts during the Editorial Board interview made us question his ability to manage the tensions on a commission already plagued by incivility and Machiavellian politics.
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The city needs people who are unafraid to speak up. It also needs people who can help restore a sense of confidence in local government, something sorely lacking with half of Miami’s six elected officials under investigation or charged with wrongdoing.
Pichel, who lost to Diaz de la Portilla in 2019, did not show up for an interview. He also ran unsuccessfully ran for mayor two years ago but during the campaign was arrested in the Florida Keys on charges of impersonating a police officer. He had staked out a home where Mayor Francis Suarez — now under investigation over payments from a developer — was vacationing. The charges against Pichel ultimately were dropped. He was charged recently with aggravated assault with a firearm in a dispute over campaign signs.
Rodriguez, who has worked for the county for more than two decades and is now an administrative officer in the water and sewer department, identified crime, crumbling infrastructure, economic development and transportation as key issues. She has a long list of community involvement — including ties to the current commission. She was appointed to the Miami River Commission by Diaz de la Portilla, whom she said she has known since childhood. She is a member of the Bayfront Park Trust. It’s chaired by Commissioner Joe Carollo, who faces a $63.5 million verdict after two Little Havana businessmen successfully sued him on grounds he targeted them after they supported a political foe.
Rodriguez said Diaz de la Portilla was unhappy when he learned that she is running and that she does not believe that a suspended commissioner should be allowed to run for reelection. “I’m running on my own,” she said. “I’m not anybody’s proxy.”
One more point to consider: Tapia served on the Culturales Viernes board with Bill Fuller, one of the Little Havana business owners who sued Carollo. Tapia said Fuller “is supporting me personally but has not donated to my campaign.” He said people “want to support but they’re very fearful of retaliation” from Carollo and Diaz de la Portilla: “That’s the very unfortunate situation that we’re in.”
Tapia said he doesn’t have any ties to past commissioners and that he wants to “change the tide at City Hall.” We hope he can do it.
The Herald recommends MARVIN TAPIA for District 1.
This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 6:00 AM.