Political Committee for Miami-Dade Mayor Produced Ad Aired During Official County Broadcast
A polished video praising the leadership of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was aired during the official broadcast of her State of the County address on Wednesday, drawing scrutiny after it was revealed that the production was funded by her political committee.
The video, titled “Real Leadership, Real Results,” was shown to the audience at Florida Memorial University and streamed on the county’s government channels just before the mayor took the stage. The segment featured high-quality footage of Levine Cava at various county events, accompanied by a narrator celebrating her tenure with slogans such as “strong leadership” and citing “progress you can see and feel.”
While the content focused on county achievements, the video was not produced using county funds. Instead, it was paid for by “Our Democracy,” the political committee (PC) that supported Levine Cava’s 2024 re-election campaign and is currently active as she faces a recall petition drive.
The blurring of lines between political campaigning and official government governance has raised objections among critics and ethics watchdogs. By airing a privately funded, politically polished video on government-funded airtime, opponents argue the administration effectively utilized taxpayer resources to broadcast political messaging. The timing has intensified these concerns; the morning following the speech, the “Our Democracy” committee issued a fundraising email explicitly promoting the video. “Click below to watch Mayor Daniella’s new video ad, which premiered during her State of the County address,” the fundraising solicitation read.
In response to inquiries, Mayor Levine Cava’s office maintains that the video’s broadcast did not violate any laws. A statement from her office asserted that because the mayor is not currently a candidate on a standard election ballot and the video contained no explicit advocacy for voting or fundraising, it was permissible. “The Mayor is not on the ballot, and there was no political content shared in the video,” the statement read. “It was a highlight of her work as the County Mayor.”
The controversy arises against the backdrop of an active recall effort against Levine Cava led by former political opponents. While the mayor secured re-election in 2024, the recall drive has kept political tensions high, making the distinction between her official duties and political defense a subject of heightened sensitivity. State laws generally prohibit the use of official resources for political campaigning, a rule that often relies on the specific content of the material rather than its funding source.
The video remains a point of contention as observers debate whether the “State of the County” event—traditionally a government function attended by department heads, lobbyists, and officials—was essentially leveraged to distribute campaign-style material produced by a partisan entity.
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