Carlos Beruff

Last updated

Carlos Beruff
Chair of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission
In office
2017–2018

Carlos Miguel Beruff (born January 1, 1958) is an American real estate developer and a Republican politician and donor. On March 1, 2017, Governor Rick Scott appointed him chair of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a body that meets once every 20 years to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution. [1]

Contents

Beruff was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2016, losing the Republican primary to Marco Rubio. [2] He was a gubernatorial appointee to the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport Authority, the Southwest Florida West Management Board, and the State College of Florida board. Beruff was born in Miami, Florida, to Cuban-immigrant parents. [3]

Early life and education

Beruff was born on January 1, 1958. His parents, Sylvia Vilarello and Marco Tulio Beruff, were Cuban refugees. He attended a boarding school in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. He later attended Stetson University, and later the University of South Florida. [4]

Career

In 1984, Beruff founded Medallion Home, a home builder located in Bradenton, Florida. [5]

Political career

In 2009, then-Florida Governor Charlie Crist appointed Beruff to the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport Authority, the Southwest Florida Water Management board, and the State College of Florida board. The next governor, Rick Scott, reappointed Beruff to all three positions. [6] [7]

In the 2010 U.S. Senate election in Florida, Beruff supported Crist, who was running as an independent and later became a Democrat, over Republican Marco Rubio. [8] [9]

Resignation from Southwest Florida Water Management District board

In August 2015, Beruff resigned from the Southwest Florida Water Management District board after voting to approve a friend's plan to destroy an acre of wetlands for a development. [10] An administrative law judge recommended against issuing the permit, which allowed developer Pat Neal to remove mangroves and fill wetlands in order to build a family compound on Perico Island. [11]

2016 U.S. Senate campaign

Beruff ran for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida, mounting a primary challenge to Republican incumbent Marco Rubio in the 2016 election. Beruff has proposed temporarily halting immigration to the United States from Middle Eastern countries. [12] In May 2016, Beruff was criticized for referring to President Barack Obama as "an animal". Beruff declined to issue an apology for the comments. [13] [14] He lost the August 30 primary, getting 18.49% of the vote and 264,427 votes. [15]

References

  1. ↑ Klas, Mary Ellen (March 1, 2017). "Scott names Sarasota businessman Carlos Beruff to be chairman of the Constitution Revision Commission". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  2. ↑ Flexter, Kate (March 4, 2016). "Who is Carlos Beruff? A profile of the man running for U.S. Senate". WWSB ABC. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  3. ↑ Irby, Katie (April 20, 2016). "Senate candidate Carlos Beruff was born in Miami, but he claimed to be born in Cuba on Manatee voter form". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  4. ↑ Wallace, Jeremy (May 27, 2016). "Feisty Senate candidate Carlos Beruff's journey from near-ruin to riches". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  5. ↑ Kennedy, Sara (August 4, 2013). "Developer Carlos Beruff: modest beginnings to multimillion-dollar business". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  6. ↑ White, Dale (May 15, 2015). "Developer, a Scott loyalist, at helm of hospital panel". Herald-Tribune. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  7. ↑ Wallace, Jeremy (April 18, 2016). "U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff makes his case in North Florida". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  8. ↑ Plott, Elaina (February 25, 2016). "Millionaire Developer Shakes Up Race for Rubio's Senate Seat". National Review. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ Wallace, Jeremy; Dunkelberger, Lloyd (April 22, 2010). "Home Article Comments Share Email Print Reprints View one page Enlarge Text Related Links UPDATE: It's official -- Crist to run as independent Key donors backing Crist". Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  10. ↑ Falconer, Jackson (August 28, 2015). "Beruff Resigns from SWFWMD Board After Approving Permit for Neal's Harbor Sound". Bradenton Times. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Zac (September 6, 2015). "Scott not backing away from Beruff". Herald-Tribune. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Zac (April 28, 2016). "Is Carlos Beruff the "little Trump of Florida"?". Herald-Tribune. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  13. ↑ Bobic, Igor (May 15, 2016). "Florida Senate GOP Candidate Calls Obama An 'Animal'". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ Cohen, Kelly (May 16, 2016). "Florida Senate candidate hammered for calling Obama 'animal'". Washington Examiner. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  15. ↑ "2016 Florida Election Watch - U.S. Senator". enight.elections.myflorida.com.
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