Francis Suarez is the mayor of Miami, but as of June 14, he also became the latest to announce his candidacy in the Republican primaries. The son of another mayor and basketball fanatic, he describes his city as the “shining city on a hill” that Ronald Reagan talked about and won his last election with 78% of the vote.
"I am running for president because I believe I have a different message than other candidates. I think what I have noticed in the last 24 hours is an outpouring of support because people want someone who can unify them," he said in his first statements as a candidate on Thursday.
The 45-year-old Suarez says his father is his best friend, enjoys crossfit, is a sports fan and tends to give a more human and relaxed image, often showing up in shorts on his podcast, Cafecito Talk. In the background of his podcast set, two framed soccer jerseys stand out, one of Lionel Messi from the Argentinian National Team, and the other of Sergio Ramos when he played for Real Madrid. Of course, both are autographed.
The Republican became the third candidate from Florida to seek the Republican nomination for president, along with Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.
Who is Francis Suárez?
He was born on Oct. 6, 1977 in the city of Miami as the oldest of four siblings. His family is quite experienced in politics, since his father, Xavier Suárez, was also mayor of Miami in two non-consecutive terms, between 1985 and 1993 and between 1997 and 1998, when he was removed from office in a case of electoral fraud.
In addition, he is a cousin of Alex Mooney, the West Virginia congressman seeking to be the state's senatorial nominee and eventually defeat Joe Manchin in November 2024.
My Dad taught me that you get to choose your battles, and I am choosing the biggest one of my life.
I'm running for President.
Join me at https://t.co/Wf7fVZACkl and for just $1, help secure me a spot on the debate stage ➡️ https://t.co/MgO1RIl3jp#FXS24 pic.twitter.com/ZhKa0bQYll
— Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) June 15, 2023
He attended Immaculata-LaSalle High School (not related to the Christian schools of the La Salle network) where he graduated in 1996. He took the next step at Florida International University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance, and then went on to pursue a law degree at the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law. He earned his JD cum laude in 2004 and went on to work at Greenspoon Marder, specializing in corporate and real estate transactions.
Suárez followed in his father's footsteps, entering local politics in 2009, when he was elected city commissioner for the fourth district, replacing Tomás Regalado, who would go on to become mayor. He was re-elected unopposed in 2011 and 2015, then maintained the custom and succeeded Regalado in his post again.
Mayor of Miami
With the backing of his father and that of Senator Marco Rubio, he won a landslide victory in the 2017 mayoral election, earning 85.8% of the vote among four candidates. He became the city's first native-born mayor and the first non-Cuban mayor since 1996.
He won reelection in November 2021 with 78.6% of the vote, defeating three Democratic candidates and one Socialist along the way.
As mayor, his defense of the police, the fact that Miami has the lowest number of homicides per capita since 1964 and his vocation for common sense in making decisions stand out. In addition, he oversaw the Miami Forever Bond a $400 million municipal bond initiative to combat sea level rise and support affordable housing.
He is proud of Miami's efforts to combat the effects of climate change. In his 2023 State of the City address, he asserted that the "environment is the economy" for the city.
Under his tenure, the city published a comprehensive Stormwater Master Plan which would allocate $3.8 billion over the next few decades to build levees and other storm-proof infrastructure in the South Florida city.
Invitation: next Thursday, June 15th, I will have the distinct privilege to speak at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute's-A Time For Choosing Speaker Series. RSVP in the link https://t.co/4fSm1D1k0j pic.twitter.com/H7lmwZqUmg
— Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) June 9, 2023
Innovation and investment are other central pillars of his management. "Today, the world is looking at Miami," he said, thanks to the fact that "we lowered taxes to their lowest level in history."
"We continue to attract the world's companies, the world's largest aggregators of capital and the world's most talented people. This is the miracle of Miami," he added.
Politics, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis
In his own words, he is a Republican who believes in "national defense, a balanced budget and as small a government as possible."
In a dialogue with Carlos Watson, the TV host asked him to choose some outstanding and skilled political figures in his field, which led him to name John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and even Barack Obama. In addition, he spoke of Marco Rubio, Dan Creanshaw and Pete Buttigieg as dynamic, intelligent and articulate.
As for Donald Trump's administration, he highlighted his Supreme Court nominations and his foreign policy, particularly the approach to China and the relocation of Israel's embassy to Jerusalem.
That said, he's not a big fan of the personality of the former president and now rival for the Republican nomination. "I think he's missed some opportunities on climate and, of course, the personality thing I don't like. I think a leader should be inspirational, I don't think he should be someone who looks down on people. I think it should be someone who builds people up," he said.
Suárez did not vote for Ron DeSantis in the 2018 gubernatorial election, choosing Democrat Andrew Gillum on the ballot, although he did endorse him in his successful 2022 re-election bid.
However, he criticized DeSantis for taking away Disney's ability to self-govern, asserting that it appears to be a "personal vendetta” by the governor. He even compared him to President Biden in terms of his experience in the private sector.
"That's the kind of thing Joe Biden does, you know, he canceled the Keystone pipeline and other pipelines even though it cost Americans 42,000 jobs. And you know, one thing he has in common with the president is that he hasn't spent a lot of time in the private sector. And I wonder if that influences his thinking on some of these things," Suarez fired back in mid-May.
Although he is determined to make it to the Oval Office, his name has been speculated to be running mate to the eventual Republican nominee. Kellyanne Conway spoke to Politico in May and revealed to them that "I have had no qualms about telling President Trump thatSuarez should be on the short list for vice president if Trump is the nominee."
