Ryan Nicol
Michael Grieco overcame a troubled political past Tuesday night to emerge victorious in the Democratic primary for House District 113.
Grieco pulled in 41 percent of the vote, beating out Deede Weithorn at 35 percent and Kubs Lalchandani at 24 percent.
Grieco entered the race right after finishing a six-month probation which barred him from running for office. He earned that sentence after he was forced to resign from the Miami Beach Commission over campaign finance violations.
The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust also found Grieco lied to the public when he denied any wrongdoing. Still, Grieco was able to post impressive fundraising totals, in part thanks to a will to self-fund.
He and Lalchandani ended up in a spat during the campaign over a mailer sent out by Grieco’s team. Lalchandani noted the mailer’s use of his full name, Kabir Arjan Lalchandani, and accused his opponent of “race-baiting.” Grieco rejected those claims.
The mailer also referenced Lalchandani’s time representing plastic surgery centers accused of harming and even killing patients. Lalchandani works as an attorney, cofounding Lalchandani Simon PL.
Weithorn, also a former Miami Beach Commissioner, faced criticism over claims she attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She managed to bring in a handful of endorsements during her run.
The winner will take on Republican Jonathan Parker on Nov. 6 for the chance to replace outgoing state Rep. David Richardson, who ran for Congress in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
