Anne Geggis
The race to succeed departing Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime in District 2 now has six candidates, with the North Miami Mayor entering the fray.
North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime was re-elected to a two-year mayoral term in May, but now has his eye on a County Commission seat. He entered the race late, last month putting a $25,000 loan into the campaign. He also has a political committee, Progressive Advocates for Change, that received $1,000 from 15 different affiliates of the same real estate company and a $5,000 donation from McDearmaid and Associates, based in North Miami.
He’ll have a long way to go in the money race to catch Marleine Bastien, who has already raised six figures. She is a licensed clinical social worker who runs the Family Action Network Movement in Miami, a low-income community advocacy organization. Bastien has raised $115,060 — comfortably ahead of Wallace Aristide, who has raised the second-most of any candidate in this race.
Aristide, a former principal at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, has raised $80,941 this election cycle. He began the race with an early lead in fundraising, but Bastien caught up and passed him in July. And it looks like she’s pulling away.
Last month, 57 donors gave Bastien a total of $14,855, compared to the $2,725 Aristide collected last month, including $1,000 he gave his own campaign.
None of the Aristide’s nine donors in October gave him more than $500. That amount came from Prolific Technologies in Hollywood.
Bastien received $1,000 from seven individuals and businesses: Abigareau Enterprises of Naples, Pastor Lugho Dorsainvil of Texas, Casthely Orthodontics in Miami Gardens, Lunet Georges of Louisville, Jalix Georges of Naples, Tamara Rodriguez of Davie, and Rolande Adolphe of Lake Worth.
So far, Bastien has spent $4,372 in the race, compared the $22,371 for Aristide. Both had negligible spending in October, however.
William Clark, a retired 28-year Miami firefighter and paramedic, is third in the money race. He raised $1,000 in October. Lonnie Lawrence, a retired law enforcement officer from Miami Gardens, was Clark’s biggest donor in October, giving $500, but the money was refunded. Willie Bass, a Miami Gardens tax agent, gave $300.
Clark’s spending in October was negligible.
Josaphat “Joe” Celestin, a former North Miami Mayor, reported zero fundraising in October. He has raised a total of $7,050 this election cycle, according to campaign reports.
The sixth candidate, Monique Barley Mayo, hasn’t reported any fundraising activity since filing for office.
Three candidates have already dropped out of the race.
District 2 encompasses parts of Miami city proper, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka, Hialeah and unincorporated areas of Liberty City, Biscayne Gardens and North Dade Central.
Candidates and political committees faced a deadline last week to report all financial activity through Oct. 31.
