The recall of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas has already stirred the pool of candidates seeking to replace the ousted officials.
According to the Miami Herald:
Rafael Perez, who three years ago lost a tight Florida House Republican primary to now-state Rep. Erik Fresen, announced Monday he will run again — but for a different seat.
Perez intends to seek Rep. Esteban Bovo’s Hialeah post, under the presumption that Bovo, a Republican, will resign to run for the post of former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natacha Seijas.
Julio Robaina, the current mayor of Hialeah who is running for Alvarez’s former post, now has the endorsement of Somos Republicans.
In a press release, Somos Republicans, which calls itself a Hispanic Republican grassroots organization, stated:
SOMOS REPUBLICANS are witnessing a new dynamic take shape in Miami-Dade County. Immigrants have learned to use the American system successfully by launching a successful recall against Mayor Carlos Alvarez. This recall is not only a recall from immigrants against immigrants, but it is a recall that comes from moderate Republicans against ultra-conservative Republican, Mayor Carlos Alvarez.
According to the release, Somos Republicans’ core principles are: “Limited Government, Right to Life, Free Market Capitalism, Low Taxes, Second Amendment Rights and Complete Legal Immigration Overhaul.”
The Herald also reported in January that the IRS was probing Robaina to find if loans he made to Luis Felipe Perez, “convicted in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.”
The recall campaign was organized and funded by billionaire Norman Braman, and received the support of Miami Republicans Rep. Carlos Lopez Cantera and Rep. Rene Garcia.
