Hernandez and Co. were expected to take the ABs (all but Tony "Phony" Vega, who is losing even there). They are, after all, paying Absentee Ballot Queen Sasha Tirador thousands of dollars for those votes, principally from public housing units and assisted living facilities. They have to get those. And Ladra hopes the authorities are watching how closely they all came to each other, showing either intense and rather extraordinary Olympic-worthy coordination, or fraud.
But they had to get them with a bigger lead.
At 7:35 p.m., it showed that su alcaldito's lead was only 8 points, with 40 percent of those votes compared to 32 percent for former Mayor Raul Martinez and 27 percent for former State Sen. Rudy "The Ghost" Garcia, who may have started showing up and pulling up too late to make a difference.In the race between Council President and Chusma in Residence Isis "Gavelgirl" Garcia-Martinez and former Councilwoman Cindy Miel, the AB divide is wider, but not as wide as was expected, with 55 percent for Gavelgirl and 45 percent for the honey.
Councilman Jose "Pottymouth" Caragol's lead over former Mayor Julio Martinez was even more substantial, with a 56 percent to 31 percent showing. Ramiro Sicre only got 13 percent, but he promised Ladra he would run again.
Councilman Pablito "Huh?" Hernandez has a much smaller lead with 39 percent over Frank Lago's 34 percent (something Ladra is sure Lago will overcome on Election Day). Daring Daisy Castellanos, who also promised Ladra she will run again (maybe against Councilwoman Kathy Cue) got a respectable 27 percent.
Even the relatively unknown and incredibly unexperienced Lourdes Lozano, a former Hialeah Housing commissioner, got 45 percent in the seat vacated by Councilman Jose "Pepe" Yedra, while front-running favorite Alex "The Professor" Morales got only 35 percent. That might be because candidates Fernando Alvarez (buoyed by Garcia votes) and Jesus Novo redirected some toward them, with 13 and 6 percent respectively. And while she may be officially off su alcaldito's slate, Councilwoman Vivian "I'll Notarize That" Casals-Muñoz took the ABs with a wide margin at 48 percent, compared to 27 percent for former cop and HHA employee Danny Bolaños and 25 percent for gunshop owner and permit shirker Tony "Phony" Vega. Maybe Vega and su alcaldito should have made their alliance public sooner.
While this should be no surprise, volunteers and supporters are already freaking out at the Martinez headquarters. But the night is young, people. It's going to be a long one. And if those are the biggest leads su alcaldito and his AB machine can muster, then it's not in the bag. Not at all.
Through Cortadito have earned more about Hialeah politics than I ever thought I could, or ever wanted to :-) I admire your passion Ladra!
ReplyDeleteElaine,
ReplyDeleteThe time for spin is over. Raul needed to win tonight in order to beat Carlos in the second round. I have been telling you the numbers for weeks. Campaigns and people may lie but facts do not. Over the course of the next week the following will happen: The Diaz Balarts and Robaina will come out full fledged for CH and Raul will step up the attacks. The attacks on Raul will triple and im conclusion: he has no shot to win the second round. Stick to county elections, we know our back yard.
ladra I'm bummed! I'm rooting hard against Hernandez's slate but that political machine feels insurmountable
ReplyDeletePerhaps free breakfast helped a little? It's okay though, "It ain't over until the fat lady sings!" ;)
ReplyDeleteperra since the first round is over,maybe you can finally take a shower.you stink!!!
ReplyDeleteit's over for Raul...if you ain't play in Hialeah you don't know Hialeah...stick to area's outside Hialeah...we're a special club and you are not part of it...live it, breathe it, taste it, this is Hialeah, the real Hialeah bone crushing politics where only the strong survive and Raul ain't that strong no more and you gotta crawl before you can walk here... and honey you ain't even started to crawl...Welcome to the real Hialeah
ReplyDeleteWell Ladra things don't look good for your back to the future slate. Raul complains about AB, wow Nilo Juri must be doing cartwheels right about now. The "professor" or Jim Defede lookalike, trails Lourdes Lozano? Isis spanked Cindy......again. Lago after spending thousands of dollars as a representative candidate now trails as a council candidate. Caragol destroys the real interim mayor and Bolanos barely makes the run-off.
ReplyDeleteMy advise to Hernandez and his slate.......finish them.
If anyone thinks Raul is finished they clearly don't know Raul. This race is still going to be hotly contested without a doubt.
ReplyDeleteI truly think that this was very closed, less than 3% my friend Nilo Jury always said, in a run off you are better off in second place, because first place already brough in all their resources in the first round and there is not that much time to cheat on the absentee ballots, so do not discount Raul yet.
ReplyDeleteis going to be a very very close hard contest. Isis and Caragol took it fair and square, they would have won without the absentees ballots.