Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Is Running for President

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez filed paperwork Wednesday to launch his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, jumping into the crowded race just a day after GOP front-runner Donald Trump appeared in court on federal charges in Suarez's city. The 45-year-old mayor, the only Hispanic candidate in the race, declared his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, the AP reports. Suarez, the president of the US Conference of Mayors, is the son of Miami's first Cuban-born mayor. He has gained national attention in recent years for his efforts to lure companies to Miami, with an eye toward turning the city into a cryptocurrency hub and the next Silicon Valley.

Suarez, who is vying to become the first sitting mayor elected president, joins a GOP primary fight that includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Despite having a candidate field in the double digits, the race is largely seen as a two-person contest between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But the other competitors are hoping for an opening, which Trump has provided with his myriad legal vulnerabilities—none more serious than his federal indictment on charges of mishandling sensitive documents and refusing to give them back.

Suarez has said he didn’t support Trump in either the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections, instead writing in the names of US Sen. Marco Rubio and then-Vice President Pence. But times have changed, with Trump advisers now praising Suarez’s work and helping him promote what he calls "the Miami success story." Trump’s former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has even floated Suarez’s name as a possible vice presidential pick. Suarez has been critical of DeSantis, dismissing some of the state laws he has signed on immigration as "headline grabbers" lacking in substance.

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Like other Republicans, Suarez has criticized DeSantis’ feud with Disney over the same law, saying it looks like a "personal vendetta.” Further ingratiating himself with the Trump team, Suarez has echoed Trump’s attacks on DeSantis’ demeanor, saying the governor doesn’t make eye contact and struggles with personal relationships with other politicians.

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