Ryan Nicol
Bay Harbor Islands Council member and former Mayor Jordan W. Leonard raised nearly $21,000 in November and says he’s planning to swap to the House District 106 race if the Legislature OK’s newly proposed redistricting maps.
In February, Leonard filed to run in the House District 100 contest to succeed the term-limited Democratic Rep. Joe Geller. He earned Geller’s coveted endorsement in that race as well. But in late November, the House released its first batch of proposed maps ahead of the 2022 election. Those two proposals would both see Leonard’s home being located in House District 106.
Leonard could move and run in another district, but he signaled his intention Friday to run in HD 106 if one of those proposals is approved.
“Since I announced my candidacy, I have always said that I would run in the district that included northeast Miami-Dade County, including Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach. Newly drawn HD 106 is where I have been elected to represent Bay Harbor Islands as a Council Member, Vice Mayor and Mayor for the last 13 years,” Leonard said in a written statement.
“I am also excited to run in a district that includes Miami Beach, where my three children and I were born, where my mother and I attended middle and high school and father attended elementary through high school and was captain of the football team at Miami Beach Senior High in 1963. Miami Beach is where I crossed paths in the 8th grade with an Israeli girl in 1991 at Nautilus Middle School, later placed at the same table during a Shabbat lunch by the Rabbi at Temple Menorah in 2001 have been together ever since as my wife of over 14 years. It would be an honor to continue serving in newly drawn HD 106, where I have a strong connection, spanning over 70 years and four generations.”
Of the currently filed candidates, Leonard is the only one who would be in HD 106. One of his previous HD 100 opponents, Miami-Dade Democratic Party Treasurer Evan Shields, has already said he’ll run in House District 107.
Leonard finished November with more than $167,000 in cash on hand. He added close to $4,000 through his campaign account in November and another $17,000 via his political committee, Americans for Florida.
“We are grateful that so many stakeholders continue to support our campaign to send an experienced elected leader and accomplished business owner to represent the east coast of South Florida in Tallahassee,” Leonard said.
The Allure Development group, a real estate company, donated $10,000 to Leonard’s PC in November, marking his single highest donation of the month. Two other real estate companies also donated big. CG Summer Investments contributed $5,000, while BH Investment added $2,000.
Leonard spent just over $4,000 during the month, most of which went to TLE Analytics for consulting expenses.
Candidates and political committees faced a Friday deadline to report all financial activity through Nov. 30.
