Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has officially filed paperwork to run for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
Suarez has already completed visits to the four major primary states and made appearances in the media hub of Washington, D.C. In addition, a super PAC supporting Suarez on Wednesday launched a digital ad campaign in the initial four states hosting GOP contests in the upcoming 2024 presidential race.
Suarez, aged 45, teased his announcement, telling Fox News that he would be giving a “big speech” at the Reagan Library in California on Thursday.
He is positioning himself as a new kind of leader who can inspire people.
As a corporate and real estate attorney and a former city commissioner, Suarez joins a competitive Republican primary race dominated by former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But as the sole Hispanic candidate in the race, he seeks to differentiate himself as a moderate candidate who can appeal to Hispanic voters.
Suarez, who is the son of Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, has criticized DeSantis’s stance on immigration, calling for a national solution, and has both supported and criticized certain policies on cultural issues.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) criticized Suarez in a statement on Wednesday, stating that he supports key aspects of Trump’s agenda and has prioritized personal gain over serving the people of Miami.
Changed Stance on Trump; Under Ethics Scrutiny
Suarez did not support Trump in the 2016 or 2020 elections, instead writing in the names of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and then-Vice President Mike Pence. However, his position seems to have changed, with Suarez offering praise for Trump after his CNN town hall appearance last month.“I think he’s true to who he is—and frankly, voters obviously like it,” he told Politico in May.
Trump advisers have also now praised Suarez’s work, and his name has even been floated by Kellyanne Conway, who ushered him around Washington, D.C., on a media junket as a possible vice presidential pick.
In the Republican primary, Suarez joins a field that includes DeSantis, Pence, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Despite a crowded field, the race is primarily seen as a competition between Trump and DeSantis.
Recently, the Miami Herald reported an ethics investigation into Suarez, who earns $130,000 as mayor, regarding outside payments he received for private consulting. The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, along with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office, are reportedly investigating his work for developer Rishi Kapoor, who paid him at least $170,000 since 2021.
Suarez, who was reelected in 2021 with a significant 78 percent of the vote, denies any conflicts of interest and accuses the Herald of having a liberal bias.
“All of a sudden, they assign three reporters and come up with all these allegations in advance of what appears to be a major announcement that you indicated next week,” he told Fox News.
Suarez, as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, has gained national attention for his efforts to attract businesses to Miami and transform the city into a crypto and technology hub.
Suarez’s efforts to attract tech companies to Miami faced challenges when COVID-19 restrictions eased elsewhere. The collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which was planning to move its U.S. headquarters to Miami, also hindered his vision. Additionally, Miami ranks poorly in terms of income inequality and affordable housing.
