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So Francis Suarez called off his run for City of Miami mayor after a few minor (well, by Miami-Dade standards at least) “scandals,” but most politicians in Miami aren’t as easily shook. Blind ambition rarely finds its bounds down here.
So it’s not really all that surprising that just two days after getting arrested, Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman decided to officially file for reelection.
Bateman was arrested on Wednesday on public corruption charges. He’s alleged to have improperly used his clout as mayor to land a $125-an-hour secret consulting gig for Community Health of South Florida Inc. He was suspended from office that same day by Governor Rick Scott as per Florida law.
According to the Miami Herald, Bateman, who is now out on bail, filed this afternoon to seek reelection. The deadline for filing is 4:30 p.m. Bateman would be seeking his second term after originally getting elected in 2009. Apparently he’s going to take a Michelle Spence-Jones style gamble.
Bateman will likely face former councilman Jeff Porter; Mark Bell (husband of ex-mayor and everyone’s favorite current conservative county commissioner Lynda Bell); and the Rev. Joseph Sewell.
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