The list of current and former elected officials ready to replace ousted Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas just keeps growing and reaches up to Tallahassee.
According to the Miami Herald:
Political ripples are typical in Florida, where term limits often keep officials on the hunt for their next gig.
“Most of these happen in a traditional election cycle,” said Democratic strategist Steve Schale, who is not involved in any of the Miami-Dade races.
What makes the post-recall landscape different is how quickly a broad slate of seats could be up for grabs.
The list already includes county mayor candidates like County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, and former state Rep. Marcelo Llorente. State Rep. Esteban Bovo and Rafael Perez, a former aide to Sen. Marco Rubio, have announced their interest in the commission seat. All five are Republicans.
So far only former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez has filed papers to run for the commission seat vacated by Gimenez’s departure.
Robaina’s run for county mayor gives way to hopefuls Carlos Hernandez, the city council’s chairman; former state Sen. Rudy Garcia, who might launch a campaign; current state Rep. Eduardo “Eddy” Gonzalez, R-Hialeah Gardens; and George Castro, who works at a turbine shop in Hialeah.
Republican Paul Crespo, who ran for U.S. Congress in 2010, as well as Manny Diaz, Jr., son of the former city of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, have announced their intent to replace Rep. Gonzalez.
And at least three people have announced they will run for Rep. Bovo’s seat in the Florida House.
Correction:
As commenters below have pointed out, Manny Diaz, Jr. is not related to former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. We apologize for the error.
