Endorsements

Eddy Leal Recommended by One Grove

Eddy Leal is proud to have been endorsed by One Grove, a collective of community involved civic leaders and activists working to educate the residents about the candidates for the prior special election for District 2 city commissioner that was held on February 27.

Here is One Grove’s statement about Eddy:

"One Grove—a collective of community involved civic leaders and activists—is working to educate the residents about the candidates for the upcoming special election for District 2 city commissioner on February 27. One Grove previously organized the community response to Miami’s redistricting.

Unlike other elections, this special election period spans only a few weeks, making the need to gain and disseminate information about the 13 candidates urgent. Last week the One Grove collective held a candidate forum at the Women’s Club of Coconut Grove attended by 200 Grove residents (in person and via Zoom) and later viewed by more than 600 others through YouTube. The event enabled all the candidates to introduce themselves and answer questions on issues of importance to the community. It is both refreshing and heartening that 13 concerned individuals – our friends and neighbors – chose to undertake the arduous task of campaigning and offer their time, talent and effort to be of public service to our community.

D2 Candidate Recommendations—Coconut Grove Spotlight, Feb. 2, 2023 The One Grove collective’s 35 members include residents of Miami’s Districts D3, D4 and mainly throughout D2 (Morningside, Downtown, Brickell and Coconut Grove). They spent more than 375 man-hours researching the candidates’ backgrounds, positions and records through primary and secondary independent sources and in-depth interviews. The research priorities included:

• Competence – knowledge of Miami city government, its obstacles and the ability to navigate and leverage social, political and economic resources.
• Vision – Specific plans to resolve District 2 problems, not generalized platitudes.
• Communication – Ability to speak clearly, concisely, and inspire trust and consensus.
• Commitment – A winning strategic plan to win the election without big-money funding.
• Service – A proven history of community service.

The work included multiple straw polls with independent focus groups. Those groups of neighbors repeatedly and nearly unanimously concluded that only one candidate was best able to meet the community’s goals. Independent groups from elsewhere in Miami later shared and validated the conclusions of the One Grove team. Interviews with City and County staff professionals provided an additional source of independent insight and verification.

Consequently, One Grove concluded to recommend to our neighbors and friends a single candidate for District 2 commissioner, Eddy Leal.

Recommendation for Eddy Leal

The City of Miami faces challenges that exceed the personality conflicts on the commission dais. They are sophisticated, complex problems requiring structural solutions and the ability to navigate the city administration effectively. From among the candidates, Eddy Leal is uniquely capable.

Eddy Leal brings intellectual depth and substance. A bachelor’s degree in Economics (magna cum laude) and a Law Degree from Duke University validate that he has the mental tools and stamina to address complexity and organize creative solutions.

Recruited in 2019 to a new position in Miami’s government, Leal provided Miami’s mayor with legal advice and constituent services independent from the City attorney’s office. His role drafting and coordinating legislation and its implementation rapidly gave him practical knowledge and experience working with, but independent of, the city administration and commissioners. Interviews with City and County staff alumni characterize him as "smart, honest and independent".

Leal demonstrated substance and diplomacy defending Coconut Grove neighborhoods in some key political and development battles. In opposition to the Carrollton-Villa Woodbine campus proposal, Leal created and shepherded the city code amendment which allowed neighbors to defend their neighborhood, reversing previous policy.

D2 Candidate Endorsements—Coconut Grove Spotlight, Feb. 2, 2023

For the Coconut Grove Playhouse, from crafting the legal paperwork for the mayoral veto to the many appearances in the courts over the last year, Leal has been responsible for defending the preservation of the Playhouse. Leal has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to listen to and learn from the experience of others, and the skill to implement solutions by placing them in the context of actionable solutions. He knows how to get things done within the City of Miami’s often opaque administration and is willing to fight for the community. And he can hit the ground running.

His top three priorities match those of District 2 residents:

• Enforce ethics in government through structural transparency and accountability changes.
• Strengthen and protect neighborhoods by supporting and growing neighborhood organizations.
• A robust investment in historic sites."