Jesse Scheckner
Former Miami Manager Emilio Gonzalez has collected more than $69,000 toward his bid to be the city’s next Mayor, benefiting from the support of nearly 150 people and businesses, an overwhelming share of which are local.
The haul came between April 9 and June 30, all through his campaign account. Notable donors included Miami-Dade Commissioner Rob Gonzalez; lawyer Adele Valencia, a former COO of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and ex-Code Compliance Director for Miami; and Pedro Munilla, Vice President of recently rebranded Munilla Construction Management.
Mission Miami, a political committee backing his campaign run by government relations vet Christian Camara, who is working on Gonzalez’s campaign, also raised about $681,000 through 30 donations last quarter. A significant chunk of that money, $500,000, came from Ria R Squared Inc., a global alternative asset management firm for which Gonzalez works as a senior adviser, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Gonzalez, a former immigration services chief under ex-President George W. Bush, past CEO of Miami International Airport and a founding member of Veterans for Trump, is one of nine candidates running to replace term-limited Mayor Francis Suarez.
Of them, four released their second-quarter campaign finance reports by Wednesday morning.
The reports are due Thursday under state law.
“Miami’s political establishment is rattled by my common-sense approach to tackling the city’s pressing issues — skyrocketing property taxes, inadequate transportation, and rising crime — challenges they’ve failed to address despite being elected to do so,” Gonzalez said in a statement Wednesday.
“This campaign is powered by everyday Miamians who are ready to take their city back, and that terrifies the political elite.”
Gonzalez — who is suing Miami, Suarez and Commissioners Damian Pardo, Christine King and Ralph Rosado for delaying the city’s election by a year — also spent close to $28,000. More than half went to Miami-based consulting company Dark Horse Strategies for mailers, texts, printing and canvassing.
He paid close to $6,400 to Camara’s Tallahassee-based Reaganista LLC for mass emails, digital ads, phone calls and rentals. Gonzaez spent about $1,800 for phone, web, TV and event services with Brick by Brick Strategies, owned and operated by Damian Jané, a former Chief of Staff to Miami Commissioner Miguel Gabela and former Representative-turned-Miami-Dade Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez.
As of July 1, Gonzalez had about $41,500 left.
Mission Miami had close to $612,000 remaining after spending about $69,400 on a variety of campaign-related services from many of the firms Gonzalez paid directly, including Reaganista, Dark Horse and Brick by Brick. The political committee also paid for video production services from Miami Vision Studios, fundraising consulting from Miami-based Apex Strategies and kicked $1,000 directly to Gonzalez’s campaign.
Others running for Mayor include Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and candidates Christian Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Ijamyn Gray, Michael Hepburn, Max Martinez and June Savage.
Hepburn, a nonprofit director and repeat candidate who last month threatened to sue if officials persisted with plans to delay the election, reported raising about $1,500 in Q2 and adding $8,000 in self-loans to his campaign coffers, plus $15,000 worth of in-kind contributions, all from himself.
After spending $865 on web fees, design, email marketing, postcard printing and a verified checkmark on Instagram, he had about $34,000 left — the same amount he’s loaned his campaign since he filed to run Dec. 5.
Savage, a Realtor, reported raising $260 through two donations and spending $135, all of it on banking, accounting and fundraising fees
Since she entered the race Dec. 11, she has raised about $2,000, loaned herself $100 and spent close to $1,600.
Martinez, an entrepreneur who placed a distant second when he ran against Suarez in 2021, reported raising and spending nothing in Q2.
He has raised $135,000 since he filed to run Dec. 21. All but $1,500 is self-given.
Miami’s elections are nonpartisan, meaning all nine candidates will appear on the city’s General Election ballot. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff.
But it’s not entirely clear when the General Election will happen. Late last month, the City Commission voted 3-2 to postpone the election to November 2026, sparking outcry from residents, candidates and a threat of legal action from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Gov. Ron DeSantis also warned city officials against the move, which Uthmeier maintains is unconstitutional and in violation of the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter. DeSantis has since floated suspending those who voted for it.
___
Editor’s note: This report was updated to include the fundraising of Mission Miami.
