From billionaire developers to land and zoning attorneys, Vicki Lopez’s campaign for District 5 Miami-Dade commissioner is backed by a slew of major real estate players and companies.
Former state representative Lopez will face off as the incumbent against former Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Sanchez and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Rob Piper on Aug. 18 for the commissioner seat she was appointed to last November to replace Eileen Higgins when she transitioned to the mayor of Miami.
This year, her political action committee Common Sense Government raised $964,736 — of which over 70 percent is from executives and companies in real estate-related industries, according to filings with the Florida Division of Elections.
Since Lopez’s appointment to the Miami-Dade County commission, she has made affordable housing a main focus, serving as vice chair of the county’s housing committee, which oversees public housing and community development agencies and policies.
Prior to joining the commission, Lopez was vocal on housing policy in the Florida House of Representatives, where she sponsored the Live Local Act, pushed for legislation overhauling condo safety requirements following the Surfside collapse, and advocated for expanding accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as a way to increase housing supply.
Since taking office in District 5, Lopez has said her priorities include expanding housing options, improving affordability and coordinating redevelopment efforts with neighborhoods throughout the district, which include Brickell, downtown Miami, the Miami River, Little Havana and much of Miami Beach. She also serves as vice chair of the Downtown Development Authority and sits on the Miami Beach Redevelopment Agency board.
Some of the top real estate donors are Coral Rock Development’s Michael Wohl, companies affiliated with Michael Swerdlow and billionaire Jorge Pérez, Salim and Kamil Chraibi’s Bluenest Development, and Christopher Torto, the founder and CEO of Ascenty, the largest provider of data center and fiber infrastructure services in Brazil.
Wohl donated $50,000. Swerdlow’s LLCs contributed $40,000, and Pérez’s Related Group entities, Bluenest and Torto each gave $25,000.
Wohl, who has a long history with local affordable housing, said he contributed to Lopez’s PAC because of her commitment to housing affordability. He noted that he does not have any projects in her district nor does he expect anything in return, but wanted to show his support for her track record in the housing industry at the county and state level.
Donations from other billionaire-owned LLCs include a subsidiary of Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas’ MasTec ($10,000) and Related Companies and Related Ross founder Steve Ross’ Miami Dolphins ($5,000). Other notable developer companies and players include 13th Floor, Housing Trust Group, Terra, Midtown Development, Jay Roberts, Allen Morris Companies, Mana Common, Coastal Construction, David Adler, Scott Srebnick and Henry Torres.
The companies and executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment or could not be reached.
Multiple real estate attorneys also poured money to Lopez’s PAC, including South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez, who serves as legal counsel for the Allen Morris Companies, and various executives at law firm giants Greenberg Traurig and Holland & Knight.
The charts below break down the contributors and amounts donated.
