VIN NEWS
MAY 14, 2024
Citing Leadership Failures, Danzinger Sets his Sights on Miami-Dade Mayor’s Office
By Sandy Eller
MIAMI – Just weeks after leaving Surfside’s mayoral office after failing to win a second term, Shlomo Danzinger is jumping back into the political arena once again, becoming the seventh declared candidate in the upcoming Miami-Dade mayoral election.
Danzinger is one of six people hoping to unseat Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in Miami-Dade’s August 20th election. If no candidate receives a majority vote in the non-partisan race, a runoff election will be held among the two top vote getters on November 5th.
Danzinger began contemplating running against Levine Cava after being approached by several people once he was no longer serving as Surfside’s mayor. Mulling over the prospects, Danzinger was intrigued to realize that even if he didn’t win, his entering the race could at least force Levine Cava, a Democrat, into a run off with a Republican candidate in the general election.
Of the six candidates hoping to unseat Levine Cava, trapeze artist Miguel Quintero is the only other Democrat; Danzinger, Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, actor Carlos Garin, social media influencer Alexander Otaola and cargo and entrepreneur Eddy Rojas are all Republicans.
Officially throwing his hat into the mayoral ring on April 25th, Danzinger expressed his disappointment in the current administration for its failure to effectively address the city’s homeless crisis, its handling of the Champlain Towers collapse, its inability to denounce anti-Semitism without including references to discrimination against other groups, and its unwillingness to engage with local municipalities to address their needs.
A letter sent to the Levine Cava campaign on that same day rescinded previous Danzinger’s endorsement of the mayor, one that he said was given under duress while he was serving as mayor of Surfside.
“The message was very clear,” said Danzinger. “If you want to be able to deal with the county; if you want anything from us, you’ve got to endorse the mayor.”
Making the leap from running Surfside to heading up Miami-Dade County and its more than 30 municipalities is a big one, but Danzinger feels that he is better suited to the task than Levine Cava.
“It starts with listening,” said Danzinger. “I was a mayor for two years and I had one official meeting with her, where she sat us down and told us what she wanted us to push.”
Danzinger’s website details his concerns that Miami, like New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, is declining because of poor leadership. His platform spans various issues including cutting taxes, tackling crime, prioritizing safety and dealing with rising costs.
A volunteer with South Florida Hatzalah, Danzinger readily admits that he never expected to end up in politics.
“If you had asked me 3 years ago, I would never have seen myself as mayor of Surfside – that was never my intention,” said Danzinger. “All I want to do is to help and volunteer and I did it for two years as mayor without actually getting paid to do it. Now there is an opportunity in Miami-Dade, and the path just seems to be open and even if this isn’t my ultimate destination I am still on that train. G-d put something in front of me and I have to work towards it, even if I don’t know what He has in mind for the end, because I believe it is all for a reason.”