Miami (EFE).- The mayor of Miami, Francis Suárez, became this Wednesday the first Hispanic to enter the campaign for the 2024 presidential elections, by registering as a candidate for the Republican primaries, reported media outlets.
Suárez, of Cuban origin and the first Miami mayor born in the city, has not yet made a statement on the subject or written on his networks, but he had been warning of his intentions for a long time and this week a campaign fundraising group had published a video about his political background.
But media such as CNN said that in a document presented to the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC), Suárez made official today his intention to enter the presidential race, designating Suarez for President, Inc. as his official political action committee.
The mayor of Miami against 13 contenders
In an interview with Telemundo 51, Suárez had expressed last week that he was “seriously considering” presenting his candidacy for the Republican Party primaries.
The campaign for the Republican primaries already has 13 contenders and in addition to Suárez, two others are Florida residents: former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who are first and second in the polls, respectively.
Also on the list are former US Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott (the only African American), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Governors Nikky Haley (South Carolina), Chris Christie (New Jersey) and Asa Hutchinson (Arkansas), businessmen Ryan Binkley, Perry Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy, and Larry Elder, a former conservative media figure.
Suarez Profile
Suárez, 45, elected mayor of Miami in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 for a new four-year term.
Prior to his first election as mayor in 2017, Suárez served as a Miami city commissioner (councilmember) for eight years.
His father, Xavier Suárez, also served as mayor of Miami in the 1980s and 1990s, though his last victory in 1997 was overturned following a voter fraud investigation.
As mayor, Suárez has sought to put Miami on the map of the new technological era, innovation and entrepreneurship, including the cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence sector.
In forums and statements, he has advocated making Miami the new Silicon Valley and even invited Elon Musk to move Twitter headquarters to the city.
Linked to an alleged act of corruption
Last May, the Miami Herald reported that a developer allegedly paid at least $170,000 over the past two years to Mayor Suárez to “help cut red tape and obtain permits” key to a “stalled” real estate project.
According to exclusive information from the aforementioned South Florida newspaper, the Location Ventures firm was in a very difficult situation to get its plans for the development of the URBIN complex in the Coconut Grove neighborhood approved.
The newspaper said it had access to notes from meetings held at the company last year in which Location Venturas CEO Rishi Kapoor is said to have tried to assure “nervous investors” that “Suárez (the mayor of Miami) would help solve the problem.”
Both Suárez and Kapoor maintain that the mayor’s work for URBIN was not related to the City Council.