Top 4 Donors Powering Raquel Regalado’s 2024 Re-Election Bid: Developers and Transportation Moguls Seeking County Contracts and Land

Aug 29

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In the competitive arena of Miami-Dade County politics, where financial hauls often translate into political wins, Commissioner Raquel Regalado has emerged as the silver medalist in the fundraising race for the 2024 campaign cycle. With an impressive $1.6 million in her campaign coffers, she has plenty of cash to burn. However, a closer look at her campaign contributions reveals that this success is not due to widespread grassroots support. Instead, it’s fueled by substantial donations from powerful real estate developers—raising concerns about the impact of these contributions on her policies and priorities.

A Lopsided Donor List: More Developer Dollars Than Grassroots Support

Raquel Regalado’s ability to fundraise such a large sum of money is remarkable, but let’s not get carried away by the numbers without understanding where they come from. County regulations cap campaign account donations at $1,000 per donor, but PAC donations do not have caps, which is how multiple county commissioners fundraised millions of dollars this campaign cycle.

A staggering 79% of her contributions came from those donating at or above $1000. Now, let’s imagine trying to scrape together $1.6 million with just $1,000 contributions. It’s doable—if you happen to have 1,600 friends maxing out their donations. Or, if you were running a true grassroots campaign with an average contribution of around $25, you’d need 64,000 friends. Spoiler alert: Raquel doesn’t have that kind of support.

Out of 910 total donations:

A whopping 2% were under $100

Only 3% fell between $100 and $200

An overwhelming 79% of donations were $1,000 or more

To put it bluntly, her grassroots support could fit in a minivan. In fact, she managed to snag a grand total of four people who donated $25. That’s right—just four.

Her average donation was $1800, and she has 708 donors in the $1000+ range. Her high-rolling supporters would need a fleet of luxury tour buses to get around.

Follow the Money

Among Raquel Regalado’s high-rolling donors, two of Miami’s most influential developers stand out: Jorge Perez of Related Group and Arnaud Karsenti of 13th Floor Investments. Her top backers for the 2024 re-election campaign contributed a combined total of $46,250 to her campaign and associated PAC, Citizens For Excellence in Miami-Dade Government. Their significant financial backing underscores their vested interest in the county's infrastructure and Regalado's continued leadership.

Why are developers so eager to fuel the campaign accounts of County Commissioners? We suspect the answer lies in the financial assistance they receive can from the County, which oversees infrastructure upgrades and passes zoning changes. These are critical for accommodating the surge in new real estate developments resulting from the Live Local Act.

What is the Live Local Act? The Florida legislature's answer to the affordable housing crisis was to build anywhere and everywhere. The Live Local Act took effective July 1, 2023. The new law forces local governments to permit the construction of apartment buildings in areas zoned for mixed-use, commercial, or industrial purposes if at least 40% of the units are affordable for people earning up to 120% of the area’s average income.

The law also requires local governments apply the highest possible density, meaning more units can be built on a piece of land, and allows buildings to reach the maximum height allowed within one mile of the proposed development. The City of Miami is already threatening to sue the County over the new changes.

Real estate developers are also pleased that the Live Local Act forces counties to produce a list of public land available for development. In Miami-Dade, there’s a program, named the Infill Housing program, that sells county land at a discount if the developer agrees to build a percentage of the units as affordable housing. This program is managed through a collaboration between County Commissioners and the Miami-Dade Internal Services Department, which is a contributing factor to increased campaign donations from developers. You can read more about the Infill Housing Program developers in our blog post -- here.

In short, this law will lead to more enormous apartment buildings being developed in various neighborhoods.

$46,250 from Related Group & 13th Floor Investments Companies

$28,500 from Raymond & Rene Gonzalez and their Troubled Transportation Companies

A Limousines of South Florida bus on fire. Credit: Transport Workers Union

Raymond and Rene Gonzalez are Raquel Regalado’s second-largest donors. They have multiple transportation contracts with Miami-Dade County through multiple business entities. We were able to track at least 57 business entities owned by Raymond and Rene Gonzalez in Florida, including one, Limousines of South Florida (LSF) which has a controversial safety record. All of the but one of the entities in the donation table below are owned by both Gonzalez brothers. DRG Investment Properties LLC is owned by Rene Gonzalez.

The Gonzalez brothers' campaign donations and county contracts have been controversial. The Miami-Dade Office of Inspector General conducted a three year long investigation into their safety record and vehicle maintenance. The Miami-Dade County Commission approved multiple transportation contracts with the company that have drawn scrutiny, including a new $64.1 million contract to handle bus service for 28 routes for five years and a separate $9 million no-bid transportation contract.

A Warning about "Dangerous Transportation Services" and vehicles catching fire

In a letter to the County, Transport Workers Union local president Jeffrey Mitchell criticized Limousines of South Florida as “inefficient, inferior and oftentimes dangerous transportation services.” Mitchell's letter highlighted that LSF uses outdated equipment, hires unsafe drivers, and has had buses catch fire. Mitchell called the no-bid extension a “giveaway” and a “farce.”

Back in 2022, when asked by the Florida Bulldog about the Gonzalez brothers' contracts and campaign donations, Commissioner Regalado replied:

“We have to raise money to run campaigns,” Regalado said. “Giving me a campaign check doesn’t mean anything. The problem is the leap that [Rivera] makes from contributions to corruption. If she has proof of corruption, she should take it to the state attorney.”

Unfortunately, in Miami-Dade County it is not illegal to receive donations from businesses who have contracts with the county, but it should raise red flags for everyone.

Raymond & Rene Gonzalez Company Donations

Terra Group Related Companies donations: $22,500

Following closely behind, Terra Group and Midtown Development have contributed $22,500 and $25,000, respectively. Terra Group, led by David Martin and based in Coconut Grove, is working with billionaires Jorge and Jose Más on a major development in Overtown. Originally purchased as a potential site for a soccer stadium, the land is now being repurposed as a mixed use development with market-rate, workforce, and affordable housing, according to Terra.

Terra Group

Midtown Development: A Single Donation of $25,000

Midtown Development owns the Shops at Sunset Place, a 9 acre parcel located on US 1 in South Miami. The developers have been trying to repurpose the old mall for over a decade. In 2023, the City of South Miami Commission voted to ease zoning restrictions, paving the way for the mall's demolition and a new development. The side of the property facing US 1 will undergo the most significant changes, with the Rapid Transit Zone now allowing buildings up to 38 stories high.