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Alejandro Díaz de la Portilla (born August 25, 1964) is a political consultant and former politician from Florida. A Republican, Díaz de la Portilla was a City of Miami Commissioner for District 1[2] and a member of the Florida Senate from 2000 to 2010, representing parts of Miami-Dade County. He also served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1994 until his election to the Senate.[3]
Alex Díaz de la Portilla | |
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Member of the Miami City Commission from the 1st district | |
In office January 7, 2020 – September 15, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Willy Gort |
Succeeded by | Miguel Angel Gabela |
Majority Leader of the Florida Senate | |
In office November 2008 – November 2010 | |
Preceded by | Daniel Webster |
Succeeded by | Andy Gardiner |
Member of the Florida Senate | |
In office January 25, 2000 – November 2, 2010 | |
Preceded by | Alberto Gutman |
Succeeded by | Miguel Díaz de la Portilla |
Constituency | 34th district (2000–2002) 36th district (2002–2010) |
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 115th district | |
In office November 8, 1994 – January 25, 2000 | |
Preceded by | Carlos A. Manrique |
Succeeded by | Renier Díaz de la Portilla |
Personal details | |
Born | Miami, Florida, U.S. | August 25, 1964
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Claudia Davant (divorced) [1] |
Relations | Miguel Díaz de la Portilla (brother) Renier Díaz de la Portilla (brother) |
Profession | Political Consultant |
Early life and career
editDíaz de la Portilla was born and raised in the Little Havana community of Miami.[4] His career in politics began in 1994, when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 115. Díaz de la Portilla served in the Florida House until 2000, when he was elected to the Florida Senate in a special election.[5] He was reelected to the Senate three times. He served as president pro tempore from 2002 to 2004.
Later political career
editDíaz de la Portilla ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2012, for the Florida Senate in 2017, and for the Miami-Dade County Commission in 2018. In 2019, Díaz de la Portilla won a run-off election for the Miami Commission to represent Miami’s District.
In September 2023, Díaz de la Portilla was arrested on charges of money laundering, bribery, criminal conspiracy, and illegal compensation for official acts.[6] The arrest affidavit[7] cited a combined 14 charges against Díaz de la Portilla and William “Bill” Riley Jr., an attorney and lobbyist. Díaz de la Portilla pleaded not guilty.
He left office on September 15, 2023, after Governor Ron DeSantis suspended him from serving.[8] The commission voted to leave the seat vacant until the November election.[9] On November 21, 2023, Díaz de la Portilla was defeated by Miguel Angel Gabela in the election for Miami Commissioner District 1.[10]
Family
editDíaz is one of the four children of Cuban exiles Miguel Ángel Díaz Pardo and Fabiola Pura de la Portilla García. His paternal great-grandfather served in the Cuban Senate; two of his[who?] sons served simultaneously in the Cuban House of Representatives. His maternal great-grandfather served as the Cuban Minister of Justice.
His brothers have also held elected office:
- Miguel Díaz de la Portilla served as a member of the Miami-Dade County Commission from 1993 to 2000 and succeeded Alex in the Florida Senate, serving from 2010 to 2016.
- Renier Díaz de la Portilla served two terms on the Miami-Dade County School Board (1996–1998 and 2006–2012). He also succeeded Alex in the House of Representatives, serving one term from 2000 to 2002.
Electoral history
editFlorida House of Representatives, 1990-1998
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Bruce Hoffman | 2,270 | 52.9% | |
Republican | Thomas "Tom" Borell | 1,020 | 23.8% | |
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 1,000 | 23.3% | |
Total votes | 4,290 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 1,953 | 36.4% | |
Republican | Carlos Manrique | 1,250 | 23.3% | |
Republican | Manuel Casas | 671 | 12.5% | |
Republican | Hugo D. Menendez | 554 | 10.3% | |
Republican | Luis Rodriguez | 523 | 9.8% | |
Republican | Raul Perez Sanz | 410 | 7.6% | |
Total votes | 5,361 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Carlos Manrique | 1,612 | 53.8% | |
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 1,386 | 46.2% | |
Total votes | 2,998 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 6,787 | 70.7% | |
Republican | Carlos Manrique | 2,809 | 29.3% | |
Total votes | 9,596 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | Unopposed | - |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 8,968 | 87.8% | |
Republican | Fred A. Naaman | 1,249 | 12.2% | |
Total votes | 10,217 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | Unopposed | - |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 2,747 | 57.7% | |
Republican | Bernie Navarro | 2,016 | 42.3% | |
Total votes | 4,763 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | Unopposed | - |
Florida Senate, 1999-2006
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 6,545 | 57.7% | |
Republican | Carlos L. Valdes | 3,780 | 33.3% | |
Republican | Charles Rousseau | 596 | 5.3% | |
Republican | Arthur Arnau | 429 | 3.8% | |
Total votes | 11,350 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | Unopposed | - |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | Unopposed | - |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 15,439 | 49.2% | |
Republican | Carlos Lacasa | 13,186 | 42.0% | |
Republican | Mike Gorrie | 2,764 | 8.8% | |
Total votes | 31,389 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 66,945 | 100.0% | |
write-ins | 6 | 0.0% | ||
Total votes | 66,951 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 50,879 | 99.9% | |
write-ins | 30 | 0.1% | ||
Total votes | 50,909 |
Post-Senate electoral career
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 4,396 | 58.8% | |
Republican | Gustavo Barreiro | 3,075 | 41.2% | |
Total votes | 7,471 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | José Javier Rodríguez | 28,053 | 53.7% | |
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 24,195 | 46.3% | |
Total votes | 52,248 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | José Félix Díaz | 7,678 | 57.8% | |
Republican | Alex Díaz de la Portilla | 3,398 | 25.6% | |
Republican | Lorenzo J. Palomares | 2,217 | 16.7% | |
Total votes | 13,293 |
References
edit- ^ https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2015/11/high-court-sides-with-diaz-de-la-portilla-in-divorce-case-027625 [dead link]
- ^ Flechas, Joey (27 October 2019). "With experience and baggage, Alex Diaz la Portilla runs for Miami's District 1 seat". Miami Herald.
- ^ https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24364/alex-diaz-de-la-portilla [bare URL]
- ^ https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article279331429.html [bare URL]
- ^ https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=31819 [bare URL]
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ^ AGUILA, GRETHEL (September 15, 2023). "Miami Commissioner Díaz de la Portilla arrest affidavit document". Miami Herald. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Vazquez, Chris Gothner, Louis Aguirre, Christina (2023-09-15). "DeSantis suspends Alex Diaz de la Portilla from Miami commission following charges". WPLG. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Commissioners vote to leave Alex Diaz de la Portilla's seat vacant until November election". ABC News: Local 10. September 24, 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "Municipal Run-Off Elections". Miami-Dade County. Miami Dade County. Retrieved 31 December 2023.