Jesse Scheckner
Rep. Fabián Basabe’s bid for a third term representing House District 106 now has support from Aventura City Commissioner Gustavo Blachman.
A first-term elected official in Aventura, a coastal municipality of some 40,000 residents in HD 106, Blachman said his appreciation of Basabe’s “unwavering commitment” to community service impressed him well before he took office last year.
“Whenever constituents reached out, Fabián listened, responded, and acted with urgency and respect — no concern was ever too big or too small. That level of responsiveness is rare in politics,” Blachman said in a statement.
“Now, as a fellow elected official, I can attest to Fabián’s dedication and effectiveness. He works tirelessly to deliver results for our district, championing policies that support our neighborhoods, protect our quality of life, and expand opportunities for our residents and businesses. Fabián has shown time and again that he is accessible, collaborative, and deeply invested in the future of our community.”
Basabe and Blachman are both Republicans, but Blachman, a longtime real estate pro, is a newcomer to the party, having only switched affiliation in the past year after previously voting as an independent.
He told Florida Politics that, among other things, he admires what many Republicans — including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Basabe — have done to combat antisemitism. Aventura has one of Florida’s largest Jewish populations.
“I honestly believe all my ideals are represented by the party,” Blachman said.
The nod from Blachman adds to others from Republican Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez and Kissimmee Rep. Jose Alvarez, a Democrat who called Basabe a “great individual” who “truly cares for the people he represents.”
Basabe said in a statement that he is grateful for Blachman’s endorsement “and his kind words.”
“Serving our community is an honor, and I will continue working every day to deliver results for our residents and ensure their voices are heard in Tallahassee,” he said. “I also thank the good people of Aventura for electing leaders like Commissioner Blachman, who value partnership and put their community first.”
Elected by a razor-thin margin in 2022 to represent House District 106, a coastal district in northeast Miami-Dade County, Basabe won re-election in November with 51% of the vote in one of the cycle’s most-watched state races.
After a lackluster 2024 Session in which he passed no legislation amid ample personal controversy, he had a much more successful round of lawmaking this year, passing five bills, including measures to safeguard historic structures and crack down on irresponsible owners of derelict vessels, while securing millions of dollars in state funding for projects in and outside of his district.
In the past month, he called out Miami Beach officials for local homelessness ordinances he believes fall short of state mandates and successfully pushed for the removal of Bay Harbor Islands Town Attorney Joe Geller, who serves on the county School Board, citing absences and unfinished work.
Basabe now faces a challenge this cycle from former Miami-Dade School Board member Lucia Báez-Geller, a Democrat who last year unsuccessfully ran against Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar.
HD 106 covers a coastal strip of Miami-Dade between Miami Beach and Aventura.
