A race to watch

Will Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart draw a serious challenge when he runs for re-election next year?

The buzz in Miami is that Raul Martinez, the Democrat who was mayor of GOP presidential bastion Hialeah for 24 years, is considering a bid. Republicans are taking shots at him, recalling his convictions (racketeering, extortion) that were reversed on appeal. He’s a colorful politician; he apologized this week for a tirade he issued in response to the GOP taunts.

Clearly, Martinez is unafraid. The question is whether he has decided to seek the nomination, guaranteeing that the incumbent and challenger would give us all some great political theater. Martinez opposes the Administration’s 2004 sanctions against Cuban family visits.