Willy Gort

Who is Willy Gort?

Willy Gort is a Cuban-American politician. Gort was a former City of Miami Commissioner, and in 1996 its mayor. In 2010, he was elected again as a City of Miami Commissioner.

Gort was the son of photographer, Alfredo “Willy” Gort and Miami Cuban civic leader, Esther de los Llanos de Gort. He and his parents fled Cuba in 1952 after Fulgencio Batista overthrew the government and moved to Miami. In 1959, after Fidel Castro came to power, he returned to Cuba for 3 days and again went into exile.

In 1993, Gort ran against Joe Carollo, a former City of Miami commissioner and won the election. In 1996, Gort who was Vice-Mayor at the time became acting mayor at the death of Stephen P. Clark. In 2001, Gort resigned his commission seat to run for mayor of Miami, but did not make the runoff election that eventually elected Manny Diaz, mayor of Miami.