Francis Suarez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francis Suarez
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Suarez in 2023
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| 43rd Mayor of Miami | |
| Assumed office November 15, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Tomás Regalado |
| 80th President of the United States Conference of Mayors | |
| In office January 2022 – June 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Nan Whaley |
| Succeeded by | Hillary Schieve |
| Member of the Miami City Commission from the 4th district |
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| In office November 25, 2009 – November 15, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Tomás Regalado |
| Succeeded by | Manolo Reyes |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Francis Xavier Suarez
October 6, 1977 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Gloria Fonts |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Xavier Suarez Rita Suarez |
| Relatives | Alex Mooney (first cousin) |
| Education | Florida International University (BBA) University of Florida (JD) |
Francis Xavier Suarez (born October 6, 1977) is an American lawyer and politician. He is the 43rd and current mayor of Miami, Florida, serving since 2017. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the Miami City Commission from 2009 to 2017.
Suarez studied finance at Florida International University (FIU). He then earned a law degree from the University of Florida in 2004. He was first elected to the Miami City Commission in 2009 and was re-elected twice. In 2017, he was elected mayor of Miami and won re-election in 2021. As mayor, Suarez is known for supporting cryptocurrency. He also ran for president in 2024 but later withdrew from the race.
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Early Life and Education
Francis Suarez is the oldest of four children. His parents are Rita and Xavier Suarez, who also served as Miami's mayor two times. His aunt, Lala, is the mother of U.S. Congressman Alex Mooney.
Suarez went to Immaculata-LaSalle High School. He graduated in 1996. He then attended Florida International University (FIU), where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance. He was among the top students in his class. After college, Suarez went to the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law. He earned his law degree in 2004.
Legal Career and Other Work
After finishing law school, Suarez became a lawyer at Greenspoon Marder. He focused on business and real estate deals.
In 2021, Suarez joined a new office in Miami for the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Being the mayor of Miami is a part-time job. This means it has limited duties and powers. On July 1, 2023, Suarez took unpaid time off from his law firm because he was running for president.
Early Political Steps
Before working in city government, Suarez was involved in his local homeowner association. He decided to get involved after his home was robbed.
Miami City Commissioner (2009–2017)
Suarez was first elected to the Miami City Commission in 2009. He won the District 4 seat in a special election. This election was held after the previous commissioner, Tomás Regalado, resigned to become mayor.
The first round of voting happened on November 3, 2009. Suarez received 44.74% of the votes. He then went to a second round of voting, called a runoff election, against Manolo Reyes. The runoff election was on November 17, 2009. Suarez won with 51.41% of the votes. He was re-elected without opposition in 2011 and 2015.
In 2013, the Miami Herald newspaper reported on Suarez's work as a commissioner. He helped pass a motion that lowered city employees' salaries. He also supported changes to the city's zoning code. These changes aimed to make it easier to build affordable housing. However, Suarez tried but failed to change Miami's government. He wanted to move from a "weak mayor" system to a "strong mayor" system. In a weak mayor system, the mayor has limited power. In a strong mayor system, the mayor has more control over the city's daily operations.
Suarez was initially a close supporter of Mayor Regalado. In late 2011, Regalado asked Suarez to lead the City Commission. Suarez even supported a motion to fire Police Chief Miguel Exposito, which the commission passed. However, by mid-2012, Suarez began to criticize Regalado's leadership. He pointed out many staff changes and questioned the city's budget. Suarez then announced he would run against Regalado in the 2013 mayoral election. Suarez also opposed red light cameras in the city.
2013 Mayoral Campaign
Suarez was expected to challenge Mayor Tomás Regalado in the November 2013 mayoral election. He raised a lot of money for his campaign in late 2012. His campaign raised $460,000, which was much more than Regalado's $160,000. Many important people supported Suarez, including former Miami mayor Manny Diaz.
On January 15, 2013, Suarez officially announced he was running for mayor. He held a press conference outside his home. His father attended and supported his campaign. Suarez promised to provide "forward-thinking and innovative" leadership. His campaign focused on increasing the city's emergency funds, helping small businesses, strengthening the Miami Police Department, and making Miami more famous nationally.
Political experts thought the election would be very close. Even with strong fundraising, Suarez was seen as the underdog because Regalado was popular. Suarez's age was also a concern for some, as he was 30 years younger than Regalado. However, Suarez said his campaign was "an opportunity for our generation to take a leadership role."
During his campaign, some of Suarez's staff faced issues. These issues led Suarez to end his campaign on August 26, 2013. He mentioned "mistakes" made by his campaign team as a reason.
Mayor of Miami (2017–Present)
Suarez was elected mayor of Miami in the 2017 Miami mayoral election. His campaign worked hard to encourage people to vote for him. Suarez is the first mayor of Miami who was born in the city. He is also the first mayor not born in Cuba since 1996. He was re-elected in the 2021 Miami mayoral election, winning over 78% of the votes.
Miami has a "weak mayor" system. This means the mayor has limited power over the city's daily operations. It is a part-time job. The mayor can veto laws passed by the city commission and declare emergencies. The mayor can also hire and fire the city manager, who runs the government. However, the city commissioners can overrule the mayor's choice. Even with limited official power, Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald noted that Suarez has become the most well-known person in Miami's city government.
In June 2020, Suarez was elected as the second vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors. In June 2021, he became the first vice president. From June 2022 to June 2023, he served as the president of this organization.
Fortune magazine included Suarez in its 2021 list of the "World's 50 Greatest Leaders."
Efforts for a "Strong Mayor" System
As mayor, Suarez again tried to change Miami to a "strong mayor" system. A public vote was held in November 2018 on this idea. However, most voters rejected the change. If it had passed, the mayor would have had more power over city departments. Many large real estate developers and lawyers supported this change. They raised over $1.2 million to promote a "yes" vote.
City Development
As mayor, Suarez has overseen a $400 million city bond initiative. This is sometimes called the Miami Forever Bond. It aims to fight rising sea levels and support affordable housing. Miami has grown a lot since 2020, with many wealthy people moving there. This has caused a shortage of affordable homes. The median cost for single family residences in Miami increased by 48% between 2019 and 2023.
Suarez also helped get approval for Miami Freedom Park. This project includes a soccer specific stadium for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF. The stadium will be built on land that used to be a city-owned golf course.
Modernizing City Services
Suarez has pushed to modernize Miami's government services. In 2018, the city started using an Electronic Plans Review System. This system allows people to submit building plans and zoning requests digitally. Suarez had strongly supported this change. Miami also adopted the eStart system to make getting building permits easier. Suarez said this would help businesses get permits faster. He proposed eStart in 2019, and it launched in January 2021.
Climate Change Efforts
Suarez knows that rising sea levels from climate change are a challenge for Miami. In February 2019, Suarez wrote an article with former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The article discussed how Miami is protecting itself from the effects of climate change.
In November 2019, the Miami City Commission passed a resolution from Suarez. This resolution declared a climate emergency declaration for Miami. It was a symbolic step, meaning it didn't include specific actions or plans. Suarez promised to use funds from the Miami Forever Bond to address climate issues. He also pledged to seek more state and federal funding.
Business and Economy
Promoting Miami
Many people, both supporters and critics, describe Suarez as Miami's "chief marketing officer." His role as mayor has limited official powers. However, he uses his position to promote the city. In March 2024, Madison Darbyshire of the Financial Times said Suarez played a key role in making Miami a "glamorous global centre."
Suarez has promoted Miami as a great place for businesses. He calls Miami the "capital of capital." This means it's a major center for finance. Florida has no individual income tax, and Miami has a low corporate tax rate of 5.5%. Suarez also tells investors that Miami is a good place for tech and finance companies.
In 2022, Suarez spoke at the World Economic Forum. He also gained attention by replying to technology executives on Twitter. When they complained about California's government, Suarez would reply, "how can I help?" This became his personal catchphrase.
City Growth
Miami has seen a big increase in wealth and business since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida gained the most residents of any U.S. state between July 2020 and July 2021. Miami's population grew by 12% in 2022 and 14% in 2023. This new population, including many wealthy individuals, greatly increased local and state tax money. Suarez has tried to take credit for this economic growth. His 2024 presidential campaign was based on his claim that his leadership helped the city's economy grow.
Suarez believes that changes to tax laws made Florida more attractive. He also thinks that Miami and Florida had fewer health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This might have attracted new residents. He also credits the rise of remote work. This allows people to move to Miami while working for companies elsewhere.
Cryptocurrency Support
Suarez is a politician who supports cryptocurrency. He has promoted Miami as a hub for cryptocurrency. He wants Miami to become the next Silicon Valley. He believes that embracing cryptocurrency will modernize the city's economy. He even put up a "crypto bull" statue in Downtown Miami. This statue is similar to the famous "Charging Bull" in New York City. He also tried to convince cryptocurrency conferences to hold their events in Miami.
In November 2021, Suarez announced he would receive his mayoral salary in Bitcoin. He has kept this personal Bitcoin holding.
Suarez supported a naming rights deal for Kaseya Center (then called "FTX Arena") with the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. He appeared often with Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX. When FTX later went bankrupt due to fraud charges, the deal ended. Suarez later said his decision to support FTX had "not matured well."
In September 2021, Suarez said his goal for Miami was to get rid of taxes. He hoped to fund the city using a special digital token called MiamiCoin. He also said Miami was looking into allowing residents to be paid in Bitcoin and pay taxes with Bitcoin. Less than a year after its launch, MiamiCoin lost most of its value and was removed from its last exchange. Suarez personally lost money on MiamiCoin. However, he continued to support cryptocurrency.
Transportation
In 2021, Suarez suggested using tunnels to ease traffic in Miami. He saw the Las Vegas Loop built by Elon Musk's company. He proposed a similar system to connect different parts of Miami.
Miami's population growth since the COVID-19 pandemic has made traffic worse. In 2024, Miami was ranked the ninth-worst city in the world for traffic.
Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization
When he became mayor, Suarez was also a member of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization. He chose to keep this position. However, Suarez has often been absent from meetings of these regional transit boards.
In July 2024, Suarez criticized the board for not improving transit enough. He felt that the money proposed for airport projects was too little. However, he seemed unaware of a larger, separate plan for the airport.
Republican Party Politics
In the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election, Suarez voted for the Democratic candidate, Andrew Gillum. He voted against the Republican winner, Ron DeSantis. However, he voted for DeSantis in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election. Suarez did not vote for Republican Donald Trump in either the 2016 or 2020 United States presidential elections. He wrote in Marco Rubio and Mike Pence instead. However, Suarez endorsed Trump for the 2024 election.
Suarez is an important figure in Florida politics. He has tried to become more well-known nationally. In July 2024, Governing magazine called Suarez "Possibly the country’s most prominent Republican mayor."
2024 Presidential Campaign
In April 2021, there were reports that Suarez might be a running mate for Nikki Haley in the 2024 United States presidential election. In September 2021, The Hill reported that Suarez was interested in running for president himself. Suarez spoke on Fox News Sunday on June 11, 2023. He talked about visiting states that hold early primary elections. He said people wanted to hear more about his ideas.
He encouraged people to watch a "big speech" he would give on June 15 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. He said it would be about the "future of our country." This was a clear sign he would announce his presidential campaign.
Campaign Launch
Suarez officially filed to run for president on June 14 and launched his campaign the next day. Political experts doubted he would be a strong candidate. They noted he would be competing against two other Floridians, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.
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On June 27, 2023, during a podcast, Suarez was asked about the persecution of the Uyghurs in China. Suarez asked, "What's a Uyghur?" He later said he was confused by the pronunciation. This moment was compared to a similar mistake by 2016 presidential candidate Gary Johnson.
On July 5, 2023, a super PAC supporting Suarez launched a chatbot. This bot used his face and voice to answer questions about his campaign. It could also make fun of other candidates like Ron DeSantis. This was one example of artificial intelligence being used in the 2024 election.
On August 4, Suarez announced his campaign would accept donations in Bitcoin. This was part of his pro-cryptocurrency platform.
On August 8, Suarez said he had met the requirements to attend the first Republican primary debate. However, the Republican National Committee (RNC) had to confirm this. He had said that if he did not qualify for the first debate, he might leave the race. To qualify, candidates needed 40,000 unique donors from 20 different states. They also needed to be consistently present in polls, which Suarez was not.
A super PAC supporting Suarez complained that he was being left out of polls. They said his low polling numbers (zero or one percent) did not show his true popularity. Suarez himself argued that the polling rule was unfair for "relatively unknown" figures like him. He was competing against candidates who had been famous for years.
Suarez also said that all candidates who failed to qualify for the debate should drop out. He argued that "if you can’t meet the minimum thresholds, you shouldn’t be trying to take the time involved away from being productive.” Suarez did not meet the requirements and did not qualify for the first Republican debate on August 23.
End of Presidential Campaign
After failing to qualify for the first debate, Suarez was urged to follow his own advice and drop out. The Miami Herald, Business Insider, Fox News, and Congressman Carlos A. Giménez all called for him to withdraw. Suarez kept his promise and suspended his campaign on August 29, 2023. He was the first candidate to drop out of the 2024 race.
During his campaign, Suarez promised $10 gift cards to people who donated $1 to his campaign. However, he has not yet fulfilled these promises. Many supporters are still waiting for their gift cards, and Suarez's campaign has not commented on the issue.
On March 1, 2024, Suarez endorsed Donald Trump's campaign.
Future Political Plans
Suarez has shown interest in running for governor of Florida in 2026. The current governor, Ron DeSantis, cannot seek another term due to term limits.
Political Beliefs
Suarez identifies himself as a conservative Republican. An analyst for FiveThirtyEight noted that Suarez's policies are conservative. For example, he focuses on keeping taxes low. However, he takes a slightly more moderate stance on issues like climate change and immigration. He has said that climate change is real. He also declared a climate emergency in Miami. But Suarez has also criticized climate activists for being too alarming about the effects of climate change on Miami.
Suarez has supported LGBT pride events. He supported the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act when it was first signed. This law limited classroom teaching on LGBT issues for young students. However, he opposed its later expansion to all grades.
Suarez is a first-generation Cuban American. During his presidential campaign, he criticized the idea of changing the 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship. He noted that without birthright citizenship, he would not have been an American citizen. He also argued that refugees from Venezuela should be given temporary protected status in the U.S.
See also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
