Former state legislator Alex Diaz de la Portilla is officially making another go at a run for the Florida Legislature. On Wednesday, Diaz de la Portilla formally filed paperwork to throw his hat in the ring in a special election for Senate District 40 to replace Frank Artiles, who resigned from office last month.
SD 40 covers parts of Miami-Dade County including the Kendall area.
Diaz de la Portilla is no stranger to Florida politics. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1994-2000 and then transitioned into the Florida Senate, where he represented Florida’s 36th district from 2000-2010.
Diaz de la Portilla quickly moved up the ranks in office, serving as Senate President Pro Tempore from 2002-2004. He later became Senate Majority Leader from 2008-2010, but ultimately termed out and was unable to seek reelection.
The former state lawmaker has had returning to Tallahassee on his mind for some time. In 2012, he made an unsuccessful run for the 112th district of the Florida House of Representatives, but ultimately lost to Jose Javier Rodriguez.
DLP and his brother, former state Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, have been heavyweights in the Miami political scene for decades, though it appeared they were down and out after Miguel Diaz de la Portilla lost his reelection bid to the same man who bested his brother in 2012: Jose Javier Rodriguez.
It was previously unclear whether DLP would try to run for Artiles' seat or if he would try his hand at running for Miami commissioner, but it now appears the door is wide open for a DLP comeback.
Artiles resigned last month after Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union broke a story that he used profanities and a racial slur aimed at Sen. Audrey Gibson and other state lawmakers at the Governor’s Club in Tallahassee. Senate President Joe Negron and several of Artiles’ Republican colleagues were also subjects of intense Artiles’ verbal tirade.
“It is clear to me my recent actions and words that I spoke fell far short of what I expect for myself, and for this, I am very sorry," Artiles wrote in his resignation letter to Negron. "I am responsible and I am accountable and effective immediately, I am resigning from the Florida Senate. It's clear there are consequences to every action, and in this area, I will need time for personal reflection and growth."
DLP isn’t the only one who has Artiles’ old Senate seat on his mind. On the Republican side, state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, is widely rumored to be a favorite for the position.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Daisy Baez told POLITICO Florida she planned to be the first high-profile Democrat to announce her intention to run for the seat. State Rep. Robert Asencio’s name has also been floated around as another possible contender.
Hispanic candidates will likely perform well in SD 40, which is 67 percent Hispanic, 17 percent white and seven percent non-Hispanic black.
The responsibility to announce a date for the special election falls on Gov. Rick Scott. As of now, there’s no telling when a special election will be held, but an announcement is forthcoming.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
