Complaints filed against Mayor Doral over false endorsement of Miami-Dade GOP

Mayor Doral Christi Fraga faces statewide complaints for improperly claiming endorsements from the Miami-Dade County Republican Party.

The party president suggested it was due to a misunderstanding.

Doral resident Norberto Spangaromember and former president of Doral Community Coalition group, filed a pair of complaints with the Elections Division against Fraga and her Leaders of Tomorrow political committee.

The complaints cite an Oct. 18 report by The Floridian that Fraga posted on social media announcing an endorsement of her county Republican Party and an email, funded by her PC, stating the same.

“As a career politician who has held several public offices, Christi Fraga should know better than to claim support that he never earned or received. Not only is it unethical and illegal, it is also a malicious attempt to defraud voters,” Spangaro said in a statement, adding that Fraga should issue a retraction and apologize to Doral voters and her donors. campaign “because they used their money to spread it. lies.”

Fraga has since deleted her posts X and Instagram accounts. Florida Politics reached out to her for comment Friday, but did not hear back by press time. This report will be updated if we receive one.

Florida Statutes prohibits applicants from claiming endorsements without the written approval of the endorsing person or organization.

Rep. Hialeah. Alex RizzoPresident of Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committeesaid state party rules prohibit endorsements in races with multiple Republican candidates. Exceptions are permitted with the approval of 60% of the approving body or two-thirds of the voting members.

Fraga, a former Miami-Dade School Board member, is running for a second term as mayor. She faces Roxanna Garaya fellow Republican and former supporter she has ultrasified significantly.

“When I spoke to her after I saw that she (claimed support from the party), she said, ‘Oh, I thought that since I was an incumbent (the party would support me).’ We have taken a position that we will not support any Republican who has run against another Republican,” Rizo told Florida Politics.

A investigate in a similar matter is underway in Monroe County. In September, Gov. Ron DeSantis authorized prosecutor Amira Fox 20th Judicial Circuit to conduct an investigation into allegations of voter fraud and illegal payments of funds. At issue is an endorsement and $20,000 donation the Monroe Republican Party gave to its treasurer, Sherri Hoodieswho is running for the position of Supervisor of Elections.

At the time the endorsement and contribution were made, the Hodies were still facing a primary challenger. The Monroe Republican Executive Committee voted before endorsing it, but some party members complained that the vote fell short of the threshold needed to approve the endorsement.

The Doral election also includes a pair of City Council races. For chair 1, holder Rafael Pineyro faces a challenger Ivette Gonzalez Petkovici. And for the 3rd place, candidates Juan Carlos Esquivel, Nicole Reinoso and Irina Vilariño compete to succeed the vice mayor Oscar Puig-Corve.

Rizo said the county party endorsed Pineyro, a Republican, because Gonzalez Petkovich is running as an independent. State records show she was registered as a Republican until 2014 and as a Democrat until this year.

The general election takes place on November 5.

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