After six weeks, Barreiro drops bid to challenge Carollo for Miami commission seat

Bruno Barreiro has withdrawn from the race for Miami’s District 3 seat, abandoning his bid just six weeks after he filed to run against incumbent Commissioner Joe Carollo.

First reported by political blogger Elaine de Valle, Barreiro submitted his withdrawal letter on Friday. On Wednesday evening, Barreiro told the Miami Herald his decision was due to “a combination of things,” without giving specifics.

“Just time, the environment,” he said. “It wasn’t the right time.”

Campaign finance reports show Barreiro had raised little more than $20,000 since he opened his campaign account in early June. The bulk of the money came in bundled donations from owners of the Ball and Chain nightclub on Southwest Eighth Street. A co-owner, Bill Fuller, and business partner Martin Pinilla sued Carollo in 2018 alleging that the commissioner was harassing the bar by pushing the city’s code compliance officers to find violations at their Little Havana properties. The suit is pending in federal court.

Carollo, 66, has so far raised about $1.2 million dollars this year, with $481,500 in contributions directly to his campaign and $809,000 in his political committee Miami First. Two lesser-known candidates, Adriana Oliva and Rodney Quinn Smith, are also running.

The qualifying period is in September. The election is Nov. 2.

Barreiro, 55, was a county commissioner for 20 years before he resigned in 2018 to run for the congressional seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He lost in the Republican primary that year. He lost again in a 2020 run for Florida House District 112. Barreiro had previously served as a state representative from 1992 to 1998.

Barreiro said he was not currently contemplating another run for public office.

“I don’t discard it,” he said. “But right now, I’m not eyeing anything right now.”