By Katharine Jackson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced on Thursday he is running for president, joining a host of Republican candidates vying for the 2024 presidential nomination days after front-runner Donald Trump faced federal charges in his city.
Suarez, 45, released a campaign video titled “I’m Running,” which showed him jogging around the South Florida city, and described his vision for “generational change” in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“What people want is someone to bring them together. … This isn’t about me. This isn’t about my generation. This is about our children,” Suarez said on ABC.
A Cuban-American who has overseen a tech-driven economic boom in the city, Suarez is the only Hispanic candidate in the Republican field and the third candidate from Florida along with former President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Suarez has had thorny relationships with both Trump and DeSantis. He did not support Trump in his 2020 re-election bid and was critical of some of DeSantis’ COVID pandemic-era policies.
Asked about Trump’s indictment over his handling of classified documents, Suarez said he hoped his candidacy could help shift the political discourse.
“This conversation is not a healthy conversation for the country. We should be talking about the issues that Americans care about, we shouldn’t be talking about, you know, candidates being indicted,” he said.
Suarez has drawn criticism for championing cryptocurrency firms such as the bankrupt FTX, which bought naming rights to the Miami’s basketball arena but was then forced to surrender them.
However, Miami has seen an influx of more traditional tech companies and wealthy investors during his tenure, as well as a construction boom that has helped contribute to the city’s reputation as a top international tourism destination.
Suarez is due to speak at an event focused on the future of the Republican Party in California on Thursday evening.
He filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and James Oliphant; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
