Val C. Cleary (1882–1966) was an actor, real estate broker and politician who became two-time mayor of Miami Beach, Florida.
Early life Cleary was an actor before moving to Florida. He was married to Grace Cleary.
Cleary famously bought a property on Miami Beach for $800 and sold it four years later for $150,000.
Politics Cleary had a number of political positions throughout his career. He was a tax assessor. He was elected Miami Beach Mayor and also selected as Mayor by the city council. He was an at-large delegate to the 1932 national Democratic Party convention, where they elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932. He was a county commissioner and was also a member of the state delegation that changed the state constitution to eliminate Prohibition. He also lost several races, including the 1948 County Commission seat for District 5.
Electoral results General election, Miami, FL 1948, County Commission, District 5 +CandidateVotes Cleary 24,435 Louis F. Snedigar 27,921
Fraternal and civic affiliations Cleary was a Freemason, charter member of the Lion's Club, an Elk and commander of Miami's Harvey W Seeds American Legion Post #29.
See also Miami Beach Mayors Miami Beach timeline Miami Beach government
References Citations
Sources Miami Beach Archives
External links City of Miami Beach Political Graveyard: Mayors of Miami Beach, Florida