Meet the HD 113 candidates: Tony Diaz

Republican businessman Tony Diaz is one of several candidates running to represent a long-vacant Miami-Dade House district.

House District 113 has been vacant since Republican Rep. Vicki Lopez was appointed to the Miami-Dade Commission in November 2025.

Other GOP candidates include Bruno Barreiro and Frank Lago. The Republican nominee will face off against Gloria Romero Roses or Justin Mendoza Routt, the Democratic Primary candidates. Write-in candidate Paola Vazquez del Mercado will also appear on the November ballot.

The seat has trended to the right in recent elections, but is still viewed as competitive — Lopez won in 2024 with 54% of the vote. The district covers the central portion of Miami-Dade County, including all of Key Biscayne and parts of Coral Gables and Miami.

Florida Politics asked all candidates to answer a few questions. We are publishing their responses unedited so voters can hear directly from candidates. Here’s what Diaz told us:

— Profession: I own GiardinoFresco.com, an online fruit tree nursery.

— Education: I studied Public Administration in Florida International University (proud Panther).

— Years in the district: I was born in Palmetto Hospital and have lived in my district since the day my mom was discharged from the hospital.

— Community involvement: I am a proud member of the Sts. Peter and Paul parish, where I went to elementary school. I mainly donate funds to causes I believe in and help any member of my community that has approached me whether it be for city related grievances or accessing government tools. I am a firm believer in the scripture that I will paraphrase: when one gives alms do so with your right hand in a way that not even your left hand is aware of it. Awful paraphrasing, but I do find it extremely tacky when people use charity as a billboard for some moral high ground, so I do most of my best work anonymously.

— Why are you running? What are your top priorities if elected? A City of Miami commissioner died. He was replaced unceremoniously with a special election that was a proxy war for special interests, no real candidates even had a chance to register. Then my county commissioner left and was replaced by appointment instead of a special election. These two events upset me, because I believe in the sanctity of elections. My main goal is to work on election integrity issues like residency requirements for state positions, runoffs in primaries, and special elections for every vacancy with pre-set timelines.

— What are the biggest local challenges facing the district, and what can you realistically do about them if elected? The appointment and other election issues would fall in the purview of a legislator. I would work to pass laws to solve the problems. My district is also facing an affordability crisis, which I will work with colleagues to address by killing the Live Local Act and battling property insurance giants. I also see the flooding challenges we are facing in Brickell, Edgewater, and Key Biscayne. I will facilitate funds for current projects and work with public universities to put forth new solutions.

— Is the Republican majority in the Legislature focused on the right priorities? Is there any issue on which you disagree with your party? The Republican Majority has fallen asleep at the wheel. I am hoping that the next session brings new colleagues and refocused current legislators ready to tackle affordability problems and sweep away the corruption that has blown over our state. As a Republican, I believe my party has gone the wrong way with censorship in the past. Any attempts to limit free speech are just not something I can ever back.

— What is one bill you personally want to sponsor in the next Legislative Session? Any vacancy in an office in Florida must be filled with a special election. Qualifying set no more than 4 weeks from the date of the vacancy.

— The cost of groceries, gas, housing and utilities is top of mind for voters right now. What specific policies do you propose to make life more affordable for constituents? I want to prohibit FPL from making political contributions in our state. Nextera their parent company spends hundreds of thousands buying politicians from both parties in what can only be described as the world’s most glaring conflict of interest.

— A majority of Floridians backed Amendments 3 and 4 in 2024, though neither reached 60% support. Should Florida loosen restrictions on abortion or legalize recreational marijuana? I am opposed to abortion. I do not want to loosen any restrictions regarding abortion. I am however 100% in favor of medical and recreational marijuana.

— Many counties have recently enacted data center bans and moratoriums, but our use of AI tools continues to grow. Is there a place for data centers anywhere in Florida, or should other states host the infrastructure that powers AI? I want a 4-year moratorium on new AI data centers. We already have over 100 in Florida. Time is needed to study the effects they have on our environment and infrastructure. I will say it shocks me to see that these companies are so desperate to place data centers that are extremely susceptible to heat in one of the hottest states in the union.

— Do you believe recent property insurance reforms have been enough, or are additional changes needed? Not even close. Floridians need us to go further. I will work with fellow legislators to outlaw selective policy offerings. I think it is one of the biggest problems we have. A company comes to Florida (a literal peninsula) and says I don’t want to offer policies near the coast or in areas with potential flooding. Great, I too would only like to collect easy premiums with minimal risk.

— South Florida is booming, but rapid population growth is making the area less affordable. How do you balance economic growth and development with protecting quality of life for existing residents? It is an issue that will require a great deal of cooperation among all legislators to solve. We all have different viewpoints. I do believe that urban planning and not allowing rapid expansion of our urban development boundaries is one quick win. Next, allowing local governments to maintain full control over zoning decisions will help preserve the culture we love in each particular area of SFL. I will share that I want to pass a bill to not allow people without an immigration status from buying real estate in SFL. That is one of the reasons I believe prices are absurd right now.

— Anything else you want voters to know about you? We are five candidates total, three Republicans and two Democrats. Here is what makes me different from them all: 1) I do not have a PAC, everyone else does. 2) I have a degree in Public Administration. 3) I have lived in my district my entire life. I understand the district, because I am the district. I hope you can lend me your vote, because come August 18th I will be our Republican nominee and dominate anyone the Dems throw at me.