In the race for Miami Beach commissioner seats, the real estate industry has shown strong support for two candidates: Andres Asion and Marcella Novela.
Asion is competing against Tanya Katzoff Bhatt for Group IV commissioner, while Joe Magazine and Novela are running for Group VI. Mitch Novick and David Suarez are running for Group V. The election day is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Notable developers including Greg Mirmelli, Jeffrey Berkowitz, Victor Ballestas, Alex Sapir, Michael Stern, Michael Simkins, Mathieu Massa, and Avra Jain are among the contributors to the candidates, according to The Real Deal’s analysis of campaign finance records.
Andres Asion, broker and owner of Miami Real Estate Group, leads in fundraising, with over $175,000 in his campaign funds, excluding donations to political action committees. Marcella Novela’s campaign has also garnered significant support, with more than $110,000 raised.
Here’s a breakdown of notable contributions from real estate players:
Andres Asion:
- Companies linked to Greg Mirmelli donated $10,000 to Asion’s campaign.
- Berkowitz Development Group, led by Jeffrey Berkowitz, contributed $2,500 to Asion.
- Top brokers such as Dina Goldentayer, Dora Puig, members of the Cervera Real Estate family, Phil Gutman, Jay Philip Parker, and Farid Moussallem, among others, also supported Asion’s campaign.
Tanya Katzoff Bhatt:
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty agents Nelson Gonzalez and Esther Percal each contributed $250.
- Entities managed by Fredric and Aaron Karlton of Karlton Investment Group donated $4,000.
- Saul Gross, Kareem Brantley, Alexandra Peters, and others gave $1,000 each to Katzoff Bhatt’s campaign.
Marcella Novela:
- Notable contributions came from Douglas Elliman Florida CEO, Jay Philip Parker, developer Mikael Hamaoui, and his wife Ashley Spitz Hamaoui, Fortune International Group, and companies managed by Edgardo and Ana Cristina Defortuna, among others.
Joe Magazine:
- Michael Stern and Michael Simkins each contributed $1,000 to Magazine’s campaign.
- Saul Gross, Ralph Choeff, and Erik Nissani also made smaller contributions.
