Miami Mayor Francis Suarez files for 2024 presidential bid

Another Florida man has filed paperwork to enter the 2024 presidential race.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who bills himself as a "unifier," is poised to launch a long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Running on a record of attracting tech businesses to Florida, reducing crime and capturing the Hispanic vote, he argues that he can help the party chart a positive path forward and appeal to moderates with his focus on climate change. He is the first Hispanic candidate to enter the Republican primary field this cycle.

Suarez, a real estate attorney and the son of former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez, was initially elected in 2017. He was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2021 and serves as the president of the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors.

He has become well known for attracting technology investors to Miami. He previously met with PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and has publicly courted Tesla CEO Elon Musk. He has also been a strong supporter of cryptocurrency, aiming to make the city a hub for digital currency. He argues that Miami can be a "prototype" for the country.

Suarez recently came under fire after a Miami Herald investigation alleged that he helped a development company that pays him $10,000 a month to navigate permit issues. The county’s Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has begun investigating the matter, NBC Miami reported. A spokesperson for Suarez has vehemently denied the allegations.