Election fall-out helped Miami's Jose Oliva secure speakership -- for 2018

Miami Rep. Jose Oliva has secured enough Republican votes in his class to be designated House speaker in 2018-20.

Six years is a long time to wait but, in the just-because world of legislative politics, traditions die hard. So it was no surprise that, despite the election-year upset of incoming House speaker Chris Dorworth, the tradition of collecting pledges for the two-year post continued unabated this week.

By Friday, Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, had quickly won the pledges to replace Dorworth after Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, dropped out. Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, remained the GOP choice for 2016-18.

But the post-election day scramble also allowed Oliva, the CEO of Oliva Cigar Company who has been campaigning for the post since he was elected in a special election in June 2011, to secure enough support from his colleagues to become speaker in 2018-20.

Like Miami's most recent House Speaker Marco Rubio, Oliva is a "red shirt" freshman, having moved into office on a special election. He has a head start on the job but officially becomes part of the class elected in the subsequent election, those elected on Tuesday who are term-limited out of office in 2020.

Oliva had faced the prospect of being challenged for the speakership by two former legislators, Frank Farkas of St. Petersburg and Alex Diaz de la Portilla of Miami. Both lost on Tuesday as the wave of Obama supporters crushed Republicans in a handful of newly-drawn House districts.

Now, Oliva's supporters tell us, he has secured the pledges free and clear. Dorworth even acknowledged it in his fairwell note to colleagues on Friday.

The line-up of Republican speakers for the Florida House looks this way: Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, 2012-14; Crisafulli, 2014-16; Corcoran, 2016-18; Oliva, 2018-20. That is, of course, another election day doesn't get in the way.

No criminal charges for former Miami Beach lawmaker in 'sexxxy mama' text scandal

Richard Steinberg, the former Miami Beach state representative, will not face criminal charges for sending creepy and harassing anonymous text messages to a married federal prosecutor.

He resigned from office in February after The Miami Herald reported he was under investigation for sending dozens of “inappropriate and unsolicited” text messages to the woman.

In a final report released Friday, state prosecutors said they could not prove Steinberg, D-Miami Beach, acted in a “malicious’” way, a key element for charges under Florida’s stalking statute.

“The victim, although supportive of any filing decision made, could not in good faith say she felt [Steinberg] was being malicious,” according to the final memo by prosecutor Johnette Hardiman.

Steinberg, a former Miami Beach commissioner, was elected in 2008 and was well-respected among his peers in the Florida House of Representatives.

Last summer, Steinberg used a Yahoo! account with the screen name “itsjustme24680” to send text messages to Assistant U.S. Attorney Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos.

For months, Fernandez-Karavetsos told investigators, an anonymous texter sent suggestive messages, calling her “sexxxy mama” and asking about her infant son. She repeatedly asked the person to stop and identify himself.

Fernandez-Karavetsos, who is married to a federal prosecutor, only knew Steinberg through professional circles. Steinberg, a lawyer, is married with children.

More from David Ovalle here.

Pamphlet problems and palm-card controversies: The shadow war between Rep. Artiles and former Rep. Zapata

With Hurricane Sandy sucking the air out of the presidential race, we now take you back to Miami-Dade County where the hot air is always blowing during election season.

Consider the county commission race between former state Rep. Juan Zapata and Manny Machado. He's backed by longtime Zapata opponent, Frank Artiles, a current state representative who lost two previous bids against the now termed-out Zapata. (Background on the race is here)

Zapata folks accuse Artiles of pulling a fast one and duping the local Republican Party over a palm card advising voters on how to fill out their ballots. Artiles accused Zapata of breaking a state rule over use of the state's seal in a brochure. A Zapata defender said Artiles doesn't understand the law.

Write-in candidates: Sham or sincere?

TALLAHASSEE — They are the candidates you don't see. They don't collect signatures or pay fees to run. They almost never raise or spend money. They don't attend campaign forums or knock on doors. Their names never appear on the ballot. And they always lose.

Yet, write-in candidates matter in Florida.

When they run, voters lose.

This year alone, more than 900,000 Floridians were stopped from casting a ballot in 15 competitive state House and Senate races because a write-in candidate signed up to run.

It's a loophole in Florida's quirky election system that can be exploited to prevent Democrats and independents from choosing a representative from among only Republicans, and vice versa.

"It's a sham," said Carl Domino, a Jupiter Republican.

UPDATED: Miami lawmaker seeks political revenge against predecessor

After losing two state legislative races against Juan C. Zapata, state Rep. Frank Artiles is trying to get his revenge.

Zapata twice defeated Artiles in Republican primaries in 2002 and 2004 -- and endorsed and actively campaigned for Artiles' Democratic opponent two years ago. Now Artiles has backed Zapata's opponent in a Miami-Dade County Commission race, Manny Machado.

Artiles paid out of his own pocket for a mailer endorsing Machado and a slate of other candidates (a disclaimer on the piece says, "Paid for and approved by Frank Artiles. Not paid by taxpayers.") After Zapata gave an interview on Spanish-language radio, Artiles called the show's producer and offered to debate Zapata.

And Artiles went on a different Spanish-language radio station to offer this blunt assessment of the differences between the candidates in the race: "Criminal or cop," he said.

Machado is a Miami-Dade police detective. Zapata was arrested two decades ago for possession of steroids. The record that has since been expunged.

Mediscare messages target seniors -- in races from president to legislature

The attack ads arrive in the mailboxes of Florida voters and pierce the television airwaves with the rapidity of tracer bullets.

“Medicare Advantage could vanish,’’ reads a flyer from the conservative group, Americans for Tax Reform. “Barack Obama raided $716 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare,’’ reads another.

“Seniors could pay $6,000 more a year,’’ warns an ad supporting Obama. Republicans Mitt Romney and Connie Mack want to “end Medicare as we know it,” warns Democrat Bill Nelson. Mack claims Nelson wants to “rob Medicare to pay for the president’s healthcare plan.”

Politicos have a shorthand for the chatter: Mediscare.

The dueling messages are designed to stoke financial fears in the swing state with one of the biggest senior populations in the country. And even campaigns for the state House and Senate, which do not have any control over Medicare, are being hit with the attacks. (See the attached mailer sent out by the political consultant to Republican Senate Candidate John Couriel against Democrat Gwen Margolis.)

Separating fact from fiction is easy — if you realize that every claim is out of context, partially true, and just as partially false. But beneath the claims are some truths. Consider: keep reading

Miami-Dade commissioner backers highlight lawmaker opponent's pensions

On the heels of a campaign flier attacking Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro comes a new mailer hitting Barreiro's opponent, state Rep. Luis Garcia.

The flier criticizes Garcia, a former Miami Beach firefighter and city commissioner, for receiving pensions from his three public positions (including the one he will receive once he leaves the Florida Legislature). The flier includes a photo of Garcia's financial disclosure forms listing the pension income.

The group behind the flier is Transparency in Government, an electioneering communications organization linked to Barreiro. The flier features a line -- "Tell Luis Garcia we just can't afford him!" -- similar to a line used in the anti-Barreiro flier mailed late last week -- "We can't afford Bruno Barreiro." That flier came from Change Miami-Dade Now, an ECO backed by auto magnate Norman Braman.

Garcia has put out a flier of his own, callingfor county reforms including term limits for commissioners. His flier, which also says Garcia would "investigate and report Absentee Ballot fraud in District 5 and the County," includes cards for voters to fill in and mail back to the Garcia campaign to request absentee ballots. The campaign, the piece notes, "will submit all information provided directly to the Miami-Dade County Elections Department."

District 5 includes neighborhoods along the Miami River, the Roads, Little Havana and the southern and eastern portions of Miami Beach.

Alex Diaz de la Portilla gets $125K from controversial donor

State House hopeful Alex Diaz de la Portilla has no qualms about accepting $125,000 from a controversial donor.

The considerable contribution to Diaz de la Portilla's political committee, Citizens for Accountable Government, came from Miami Beach physician Allan Jacob.

Donations from Jacob have drawn scrutiny before.

Two years ago, Jacob gave $15,000 to a political committee run by Diaz de la Portilla's older brother, Miguel.

Days later, Alex Diaz de la Portilla, then Senate majority leader, penned a letter that helped Jacob's kidney dialysis company in its bid to keep a state contract.

Lame-duck Miami state lawmaker applies for Florida education commissioner gig

State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, who lost her reelection bid in a bitter primary against fellow Miami Republican Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, is among the 16 people who have applied to become Florida's next education commissioner. Logan is a former Miami-Dade school board member.

But the Florida Board of Education is not happy with the candidates and has extended its application deadline until Nov. 30.

"You've seen the list of names submitted,” vice chairman Roberto Martinez of Coral Gables told the Tampa Bay Times after the board's four-minute morning conference call. "I don't see any names on that list that rise to the very high standard I am looking for."

More here.

UPDATE: Logan says she was asked to apply, but would not say who did the asking. "I meet all the qualifications of someone who has state and national education policy experience," she said in a text message.

The headline to this post has been updated to reflect the fact that although Logan lost her reelection bid last month, she remains in office until Nov. 6.

In lawsuit, Miami state lawmaker points to suspected Haitian absentee-ballot broker

For South Florida Haitians trying to navigate the sometimes-confusing election process, Carline Paul is a stern but encouraging voice who offers guidance over Haitian radio.

Better known as “Teacher Carline,” Paul is paid by Miami-Dade County to explain to Haitian voters how they can cast ballots, either in person or through absentee ballots.

But in the August elections, Paul was also paid by Barbara Watson, a Miami Gardens Democratic state representative, to campaign for her on Haitian radio. Paul was paid $14,000 by the county — and $1,000 by Watson, who defeated former state Rep. John Julien in the District 107 Florida House race.

Paul, an adult-education teacher for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said there was no conflict of interest.

“Me, as an educator, my job has been to educate this community,” she said. “I am sick and tired of people taking advantage of them.”

Ethics experts say her two roles as a political consultant and neutral educator are a breach of the public’s trust.

“I certainly sympathize with the county in that the best way to reach the community is to go to the people who are popular in that community. On the other hand, government at any level has to think about if this person is truly neutral,” said Bob Jarvis, an ethics professor at Nova Southeastern University.

A lawsuit prompted by allegations of ballot fraud in the District 107 race has thrown Paul’s name into the middle of a countywide absentee-ballot investigation. Julien, who lost to Watson by 13 votes, claims there was fraud.

Paul “has continued to manipulate the people that she is supposed to be helping. She continues to perpetuate the ignorance of the voting process,” Julien said.

Paul said there is no basis for Julien’s allegations.

“John Julien is a sore loser,” said Paul, 54. “The community did not support him, and neither did I.”

More from Nadege Green here.