To me, it looks like someone that leans into innovation. To me, it looks like someone that understands our major demographic minorities, like Hispanics.”
When asked if he sees himself in this role, Suarez said, “the idea of serving at a higher level in the future is exciting. The fact that people talk about it is exciting.
“But I don’t want to do it for the sake of doing it,” he adds. “Too many people stay in politics as a vanity project or because they want to be important. I definitely feel a desire to do more, but I’ve also been around politics my whole life. So, I know political opportunity is about timing and circumstance, as well.”
Suarez is part of the first father-and-son team to be mayor of the city of Miami.
MIAMI — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is hoping to easily secure a second term Tuesday, with his reelection campaign showing he can raise millions as he seeks to elevate his profile at a national level.
Suarez, 44, gained name recognition for launching an effort to lure technology investors to the city at the beginning of the year, meeting with PayPal founder Peter Thiel, tech magnate Marcelo Claure and engaging on Twitter with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, among other well-known entrepreneurs.
Analysts say Suarez was astute to seize a moment when some investors were looking to move to South Florida for tax reasons and looser COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic. The mayor has been more than willing to assist.
Miami mayor hopes newcryptofriendly silicon valley
The tweet said, “Ok guys hear me out, what if we move Silicon Valley to Miami?”
Everyone was surprised when the Tweet went viral, including Suarez, who has now slapped his “How Can I Help” slogan onto socks and t-shirts.
With the idea of Silicon Valley relocating to Miami seeded, Suarez next took out a billboard in San Francisco, telling anyone who wanted to move to Miami to DM him. And many have.
Miami now boasts a thriving tech and Crypto community with residents like Thiel, Rabois, Lucy Guo and more. In June 2021, he also lured the Bitcoin Conference from LA to Miami, attracting over 12,000 attendees escaping strict COVID restrictions.
Just last week, the conference returned to Miami with over 50,000 pumped-up crypto enthusiasts.
“When you see elected officials in San Francisco saying, ‘F Elon Musk,’ he gets the message and leaves.
Miami mayor hopes newcryptofriendly silicon valleya
That’s not the right attitude. That’s not fundamentally American. The American dream is the idea that your tomorrows are better than your yesterdays. As a first-generation American, I’m dismayed sometimes by the anti-American sentiment and divisiveness that we see in this country, because our enemies want us to be divided.
We are less powerful as a country when we’re divided.”
Although the mayoral position is nonpartisan, Suarez is a Republican, who isn’t a fan of Trump’s tactics (he said he’s more of a Reagan Republican). Suarez famously didn’t vote for President Trump in 2020. “I agreed with a lot of things about the former president from a policy perspective: Moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the Abraham Accords, obviously the tax cut, having a strong foreign policy. From a personality perspective, that’s where I had a hard time.
Miami mayor hopes newcryptofriendly silicon valleys
Suarez is also not ruling out White House aspirations. He says the pandemic and social media elevated the roles and profile of “national mayors,” making them stronger contenders for the presidency. Next year, Suarez will become president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, giving him a bigger platform.
In April, Suarez met with former South Carolina Gov.
Nikki Haley, who called him a “rock star mayor” in one of the episodes of his YouTube vlog series “Cafecito Talks.” Haley served as U.N. ambassador under Trump, and has contemplated running for president, creating speculation Suarez could be part of her ticket.
“He is viewed as different with all the talk about business, tech and Bitcoin,” said Dario Moreno, a political science professor at Florida International University.
It’s something that’s created a tremendous amount of momentum for our city that we’re going to capitalize on.”
TECH ENTREPRENEUR FLEES CALIFORNIA FOR TEXAS
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Suarez argued that Miami’s “incredible” weather, tax structure, low crime rates and openness to business opportunities make it a worthy competitor to other blossoming tech hubs like Austin, Texas.
The city has also received increased attention from the public after hosting large events like Super Bowl LIV and Art Basel, Suarez said, and major companies like Spotify and Blackstone are already planning on expanding to Miami.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
“My job is… to make sure people understand this is not a moment. This is a movement,” he said.
Bitcoin is the world’s largest and most popular cryptocurrency, with it seeing widespread use around the world. From Bitcoin ATMs, to the possibility of E-cars mining Bitcoin while parked, the crypto giant is out to get fiat currencies.
Salaries in BTC: A Step in the Right Direction
Francis Suarez, the Mayor of Miami who is also a crypto enthusiast with a history of positive statements, is back on the news. In an interview with Forbes, the Mayor revealed that in line with the mass adoption of bitcoin, workers in the city can opt to receive payment in Bitcoin, instead of the Dollar.
The Mayor declared that the city will be implementing a roadmap involving many landmark innovations to further support the adoption of crypto.
Its contributions so far total about $17 million, but the money has not been spent.
Former Twitter Chief Operating Officer Adam Bain on Wednesday tweeted that he traveled to Miami for a meeting and to check out the “startup scene.”
“What I thought was hype is actually real,” he wrote. “People in Miami exude an overwhelming sense of optimism right now. It’s electric! Optimism is a foundation of real technological progress.”
The Miami mayoral race is nonpartisan, but if Suarez’s ambitions materialize, he could soon transition to partisan contests.
Although he’s registered as a Republican, he was critical of former President Donald Trump and pushed back against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ COVID-19 actions, including the governor’s decision to prevent local communities from instituting mask mandates.
In December, when someone tweeted about moving Silicon Valley to Miami, Suarez replied, “How can I help?”
The effect his tech push has had on migration and job creation is still unclear as census numbers do not yet include data for 2021.
But private equity firm Blackstone announced last fall that it would create a new office in downtown Miami to expand tech capabilities. Japan’s Softbank Group — an early investor in Alibaba — is also looking to grow its presence in the city, and has invested $250 million in Miami startups. And venture capital firm Founders Fund has already set up shop in the trendy neighborhood of Wynwood.
Miami hosted a Bitcoin conference earlier this year, and started accepting funds generated through a cryptocurrency named MiamiCoin.
If you’re trying to be abrasive or trying to create conflict, I just don’t see that being healthy for America.”
He’s also clashed with Florida’s equally ambitious governor Ron DeSantis over mask mandates. The governor’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill has also deflated some of Miami’s efforts to continue to attract new residents, conventions and business opportunities, Suarez said.
“My perspective is that we don’t want little kids being taught about sexuality in the classroom,” said Suarez, who is married with two kids. “We want parents to do that. But we also want to be a country that is pro-equal rights for the LGBTQ community, which is what Miami is about.
