The State House race for Miami-Dade County’s District 106 is heating up, as incumbent and long-time Miami Beach resident Fabian Basabe (R) faces three outsider challengers, or strangers to the seat he currently holds.
A New York Republican from Boca Raton and newcomer to Florida’s political arena, Melinda Almonte, seems eager to become elected. Almonte failed to qualify for her congressional race in District 24 last election cycle, but appears to be attempting to slip by the voters while distracted by more prominent opponents.
Little is known of Almonte as to why she is suddenly seeking public office. Still, recent findings show that her husband, Manuel “Cholo” Almonte faces 247 "investor disputes" of financial impropriety after allegedly misinforming UBS investors in Puerto Rico, costing hundreds to lose their fortunes. Almonte established residency in a multi-million dollar mansion in Golden Beach, FL.
Joe Saunders, who held a State House seat in Orlando and was voted out of office in 2014, was the first to challenge incumbent Rep. Basabe, who won a historic election flipping the deep blue seat representing the coastal cities of Miami-Dade.
Saunders, the long-time leftist activist and Political Director for Equality Florida, has voted and supported trans men in women's sports and also supports providing hormone blockers to transitioning children along with late-term abortion. Equality Florida has also come under fire for aligning with pro-Hamas organizations, especially in a district that so heavily boasts Jewish communities.
Saunder’s aunt also qualified on the ballot as Moe Saunders, accusing her nephew Joe of being complicit in rape, incest, and pedophilia and silencing her while claiming to be an advocate for women. Local media outlets have tried to lead voters into thinking this was set up, alluding that she is a ghost candidate.
Neither of these Central or North Floridians has strong nor historic ties to the South Florida communities they seek to represent, so what are constituents to believe?
Saunders is currently suing his Aunt, claiming she is estranged and making a public statement that she has never been called Moe M-O-E. Yet a text message was published in which Joe Saunders himself refers to his aunt as M-O-E. This family feud appears to be legitimate, and Saunders brings a lot of personal and contentious baggage to the new district they both wish to represent.
Moe Saunders is also currently running against both Saunders and Basabe as an NPA candidate.
Meanwhile, Basabe, a very visible incumbent, is campaigning on a pro-Israel stance, established strong partnerships between the District and State government in Tallahassee, shutting down spring break and delivering record funding for his district, which was historically underfunded by the State when represented by Democrats.
Basabe has been under constant attacks by left-leaning organizations and pro-Palestine individuals, coupled with a multitude of allegations, all cleared by two third-party investigations. CBS reported ‘No evidence Basabe sexually harassed staff’ as the Florida House clears Rep. Fabián Basabe.
Basabe has since secured endorsements from The Police Benevolent Association, Fraternal Order of Police, Florida Firefighters, Florida Chamber of Commerce, and other groups, as well as a long list of Florida’s leaders on both sides of the political aisle.
