Some candidates for Village Council have done some significant fundraising this election season, but others have spent very little and are entirely self-funded.
There was zero finance reporting about campaigns on a controversial local ballot measure. Groups have been urging a “yes” or “no” vote on a provision that would limit stormwater spending, even though there are signs on lawns and flyers being circulated throughout the Village.
A campaign sign urging a yes vote on a ballot question to limit stormwater spending in Key Biscayne, Fla. Oct 24, 2026. The sign had no identification of who paid for it. (KBI Photo/Tony Winton)
Incumbent Oscar Sardiñas reported the highest contributions, totaling $12,285. In second place was was educator Silivia Tarafa, who raised $9,475.
Sardiñas’ largest campaign contributions came from real estate agents and contractors, including developer Edgardo Defortuna, the head of the Fortune International Group. He is the brother of Walter Defortuna, whose company is pushing a contentious condo renovation project in the island’s Garden district that requires a change to the Village’s zoning code. He also listed contributions from Santex, described as a marina operator, and Nelson Stabile, a principal of Integra Investments, a marina developer.
Some of Tarafa’s largest contributions came from well-known island lawyers. Among them were superlawyer Eugene Stearns, one of the Village’s founding fathers, along with Jennifer Stearns Buttrick, and Mario Garcia-Serra, who often appears before the Village in various land use cases. All have been active in Village politics for years. Also contributing was the Gunster law firm political action committee. The PAC also made a contribution to Sardiñas.
A few other donors to Tarafa’s campaign include Steve Powell, a commercial real estate executive, and former Mayor Robert Vernon, who also contributed to Sardiñas.
Fernando Vazquez, another incumbent seeking re-election, reported $2,300. His largest donations were from Engineer Franklin Torrealba and the Miami Realtors Political Action Committee, both contributing $1,000 each.
Luis de la Cruz, a former council member who is aiming to return to the dais, has completely relied on family support and self-funding. He has contributed $1,000 himself in funding, and his spouse Gloriosa de la Cruz donated $1,616.94 in-kind for campaign signs and website build.
Claire London, a political novice who earlier said she was out of the race, filed timely reports and remains an active, legal candidate. She reported $1,650 in self-funded contributions. She is the wife of Ed London, whose term ends in November.
London has not responded to questions on why she has not formally withdrawn from the race or if she has reversed her decision, why. A previous report showed she had spent money on signs and T-shirts, but a quick tour of the island streets Saturday revealed no signs in resident yards.
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Ava Menkes is a senior reporter with the Independent, covering local government and accountability. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in journalism and political science, and minors in history, European studies and Eastern European/Central Asian studies. She is originally from Asheville, NC, and has interned with the Raleigh News & Observer, Wisconsin Watch and Isthmus covering state politics. She also worked with The Nation, and served as managing editor of her university’s paper The Daily Cardinal, leading 2024 presidential coverage.
Editor-in-Chief
Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.