Xavier Suarez

Xavier Louis Suarez (born May 21, 1949) is an American politician who was the first Cuban-born mayor of Miami^[1] and was a Miami-Dade county commissioner.

Xavier Suarez
Official portrait, c. 2010s
35th and 39th Mayor of Miami
In office November 14, 1997 – March 12, 1998
Preceded by	Joe Carollo
Succeeded by	Joe Carollo
In office November 14, 1985 – November 11, 1993
Preceded by	Maurice Ferré
Succeeded by	Stephen P. Clark
Member of the Miami-Dade Board of Commissioners from the 7th district
In office May 24, 2011 – November 17, 2020
Preceded by	Carlos A. Giménez
Succeeded by	Raquel Regalado
Personal details
Born	Xavier Louis Suarez (1949-05-21) May 21, 1949 (age 76) Las Villas, Cuba
Political party	Democratic (before 2018) Independent (2018–2020) Republican (2020–present)
Spouse	Rita Suarez
Children	4, including Francis
Relatives	Alex Mooney (nephew)
Education	Villanova University (BS) Harvard University (MPP, JD)

Early life and education

Suarez was born on May 21, 1949, in Las Villas, Cuba.^[2] Suarez moved to Florida and attended the Colegio de Belén, but graduated from St. Anselm's Abbey School in 1967.^[3][4][5] He earned a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Villanova University in 1971, followed by a Master of Public Policy and Juris Doctor from Harvard University.^[6][7]

Career

After completing his education, Suarez returned to Miami and was sworn in as mayor on November 13, 1985, succeeding Maurice Ferré.

Suarez was first elected Mayor in 1985. He was re-elected in 1987 and again in 1989 for a four-year term. Suarez was highly regarded as a popular Mayor of Miami.

On October 7, 1990, Suarez issued a proclamation declaring "Yahweh ben Yahweh Day" in honor of the leader of the Nation of Yahweh, a religious sect based in Miami. A month later, the group's founder was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.^[8]

According to a March 30, 1993 article in The Miami Herald, "In 1989, [Suarez] won national admiration when he waded through hostile crowds in Overtown during civil disturbances to try to make peace." Suarez cited the construction of 1,500 affordable homes as one of his "proudest achievements" during his tenure. He was also given the name "pothole Mayor" for his attention to City neighborhoods. In 1993 Suarez got the Latin Builder's Association to donate $150,000 to rebuild the only Catholic elementary school in Overtown. He decided not to run again in 1993 in order to spend more time with his family. He returned to practice law in Miami before he decided to run again in November 1997 and was re-elected. His opponent, Joe Carollo, challenged the election in court. The judge presiding over the case decided to throw out all absentee ballots, effectively handing the election to Carollo.

Suarez was elected as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 7 on May 24, 2011 and was re-elected by a 44 point margin on August 30, 2016. During his tenure as Commissioner, Suarez continued to advocate for affordable housing, as well as workforce development programs and funding for public transit.

During his time as Mayor, Suarez also received attention for refusing to greet South African President Nelson Mandela during his 1990 tour of the United States which included a stop in Miami. Suarez was in disagreement with Mandela's comments where he referred to Cuban President Fidel Castro as a "comrade in arms" due to Castro's support for the African National Congress.

In 1997, Suárez ran again for mayor of Miami, challenging incumbent Joe Carollo. Although Suárez appeared to win the runoff election by a narrow margin, the results were later overturned following a wide-ranging investigation into absentee ballot fraud.^[9] A judge found "a pattern of fraudulent, intentional and criminal conduct" involving nearly 400 fraudulent absentee ballots, including votes cast in the names of deceased individuals and felons. While Suárez was not personally implicated, several individuals connected to his campaign were convicted, including campaign volunteer Miguel Amador and supporter Alberto Russi.^[10] In total, 55 individuals were charged and 54 were convicted in connection with the fraud, including a city commissioner, his chief of staff, and the staffer’s father.^[11] A federal appeals court ultimately invalidated the election and declared Carollo the winner without a new vote. See also: 1997 Miami mayoral election.

During his brief return to office in 1997, Suárez attracted controversy for erratic conduct that drew widespread media attention and earned him the nickname “Mayor Loco.”^[12] His actions included threatening to cut off city advertising to local media outlets, attempting to fire the police chief without proper authority, and making unannounced visits to constituents' homes late at night.^[13] A judge eventually barred him from making personnel decisions, citing violations of the city charter. Though never criminally charged, the chaotic period contributed to the perception of instability in city leadership.

Family

He was the ninth child and second son of 14 children of Manuel Suarez-Carreno, the first Dean of the School of Engineering at the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva (St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic University), and Eloisa Gaston. He is married to Rita and they have four children: Francis Xavier Suarez, who became Mayor of Miami in 2017, Olga Marie Vieira, Anna Teresita, and Carolina Suarez.^[5] His sister, Lala, is the mother of U.S. Congressman Alex Mooney from West Virginia.^[14]