Jesse Scheckner
Former Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg is still the only candidate running to replace long-time Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman representing District 4 on the county dais. But that hasn’t stopped her from raising loads of cash — an activity she continued in November.
Steinberg left office last month after serving eight years on the City Commission. By month’s end, she held more than $375,000 between her campaign and political committee, Miami-Dade Forward.
Of that, $64,000 came in November, mostly from political committees, real estate businesses and the legal, lobbying and government consulting sector. She also received some 30 individual contributions ranging from $25 to $1,000.
Her largest single donation was a $10,000 check from Ocean Reef PAC, whose chair, Alan Goldstein, leads the philanthropic Ocean Reef Community Foundation in Key Largo.
Let’s Move Forward, a political committee Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez runs, gave $6,000.
If Steinberg is elected, she and Martinez would serve alongside one another through 2024, when Martinez — like Heyman next year — reaches term limits.
Until recently, Steinberg and Martinez worked together as part of Miami-Dade’s transportation planning board, a pivotal body that makes billion-dollar decisions on behalf of county commuters.
Steinberg also received $5,000 from Truth is the Daughter of Time, a political committee run by lobbyist Marc Sarnoff, a former Miami City Commissioner who has also given to the election campaign of Miami-Dade Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins.
Steinberg and Cohen Higgins are among the many clients of Democratic consultant Christian Ulvert, who chairs both their political committees.
Another $5,000 came from Sunbelt Development and Investment Partners, a Coral Gables-based commercial real estate firm.
Miami-based Florida East Coast Industries, the state’s largest and oldest commercial real estate, transportation and infrastructure holding company — as well as the owner of inter-county commuter rail company Brightline — gave $3,000.
Miami Architect Rene Gonzalez donated the same amount through three companies he owns.
The Hialeah Gardens-based Latin Builders Association and MasTec North America, whose principals are working with soccer star David Beckham to develop a massive Major League Soccer stadium complex on the Miami-owned Melreese golf course, gave $1,000 apiece.
Florida Partners, a lobbying and consulting firm under the guidance of Brian May, who worked as former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Pinelas’ campaign manager and chief of staff, gave $5,000.
Miami divorce attorney Dori Foster-Morales gave an individual donation of $1,000 and another $1,000 through her firm, Foster-Morales PLLC.
The Southern Group, Florida’s top-earning lobbying firm for two consecutive quarters this year, donated $1,000.
Consultant Oscar Braynon, who served in both Florida chambers of the Legislature before returning to the private sector, chipped in half that.
Steinberg spent about $4,000 last month. More than half went to Fort Lauderdale firm MDW Communications for digital consulting and email marketing.
She also repaid contributor Tory Johnson of New York $1,000 and spent another $527 on credit card processing fees.
The Miami-Dade Commission is technically nonpartisan, as are its races.
District 4 covers 13 coastal cities in Miami-Dade County, including Miami Beach, Golden Beach, Aventura, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Biscayne Park, Indian Creek, Miami Shores and North Bay Village.
The General Election in Miami-Dade is Nov. 8, 2022.
