Alejandro Díaz de la Portilla (born August 25, 1964) is a political consultant and former politician from Florida. A Republican, Díaz de la Portilla was a City of Miami Commissioner for District 1^[2] and a member of the Florida Senate from 2000 to 2010, representing parts of Miami-Dade County. He also served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1994 until his election to the Senate.^[3]

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Quick Facts Member of the Miami City Commission from the 1st district, Preceded by ...

Alex Díaz de la Portilla
Member of the Miami City Commission from the 1st district
In office January 7, 2020 – September 15, 2023
Preceded by	Willy Gort
Succeeded by	Miguel Angel Gabela
Majority Leader of the Florida Senate
In office November 2008 – November 2010
Preceded by	Daniel Webster
Succeeded by	Andy Gardiner
Member of the Florida Senate
In office January 25, 2000 – November 2, 2010
Preceded by	Alberto Gutman
Succeeded by	Miguel Díaz de la Portilla
Constituency	34th district (2000–2002) 36th district (2002–2010)
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 115th district
In office November 8, 1994 – January 25, 2000
Preceded by	Carlos A. Manrique
Succeeded by	Renier Díaz de la Portilla
Personal details
Born	(1964-08-25) August 25, 1964 (age 59) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Claudia Davant (divorced) [1]
Relations	Miguel Díaz de la Portilla (brother) Renier Díaz de la Portilla (brother)
Profession	Political Consultant

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Díaz de la Portilla was born and raised in the Little Havana community of Miami.^[4] His career in politics began in 1994, when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 115. Díaz de la Portilla served in the Florida House until 2000, when he was elected to the Florida Senate in a special election.^[5] He was reelected to the Senate three times. He served as president pro tempore from 2002 to 2004.

Díaz de la Portilla ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2012, for the Florida Senate in 2017, and for the Miami-Dade County Commission in 2018. In 2019, Díaz de la Portilla won a run-off election for the Miami Commission to represent Miami’s District.

In September 2023, Díaz de la Portilla was arrested on charges of money laundering, bribery, criminal conspiracy, and illegal compensation for official acts.^[6] The arrest affidavit^[7] cited a combined 14 charges against Díaz de la Portilla and William “Bill” Riley Jr., an attorney and lobbyist. Díaz de la Portilla pleaded not guilty.

He left office on September 15, 2023, after Governor Ron DeSantis suspended him from serving.^[8] The commission voted to leave the seat vacant until the November election.^[9] On November 21, 2023, Díaz de la Portilla was defeated by Miguel Angel Gabela in the election for Miami Commissioner District 1.^[10]

Díaz is one of the four children of Cuban exiles Miguel Ángel Díaz Pardo and Fabiola Pura de la Portilla García. His paternal great-grandfather served in the Cuban Senate; two of his^[who?] sons served simultaneously in the Cuban House of Representatives. His maternal great-grandfather served as the Cuban Minister of Justice.

His brothers have also held elected office:

• Miguel Díaz de la Portilla served as a member of the Miami-Dade County Commission from 1993 to 2000 and succeeded Alex in the Florida Senate, serving from 2010 to 2016.
• Renier Díaz de la Portilla served two terms on the Miami-Dade County School Board (1996–1998 and 2006–2012). He also succeeded Alex in the House of Representatives, serving one term from 2000 to 2002.