It was a busy Election Day in Coral Gables as voters set out to elect a mayor and two city commissioners that would decide which voting bloc would hold a majority in the 5-person city commission.
In Miami Shores, voters elected three candidates for three open seats on the Village Council.
In both municipal elections, voters widely sided with incumbents.
Coral Gables
Coral Gables saw a near 30% voter turnout — the highest in over two decades — with more than 10,000 voters, almost half of whom voted by mail.
The Coral Gables City Commission has faced a steady stream of criticism in recent years, including corruption allegations from city officials and a controversial 101% salary raise for commissioners that put a spotlight on the election.
READ MORE: Group launches recall effort for Coral Gables mayor: ‘We have to take the city back’
In the end, Vince Lago secured his third term as mayor with 55% of the vote, defeating his main challenger, former city commissioner and ally Kirk Menendez. As mayor, Lago also earns one of the five seats on the city commission.
“I have a body of work that has been accomplished here in the City Beautiful that speaks for itself. I am transparent and have open office hours every Friday at 2 o'clock. I’m willing to make and dedicate myself as a professional to what the residents of this community want,” Lago said to WLRN.
The Lago-supported candidates running for the other two seats also fared well. Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson kept her seat with 58% of the vote.
The final spot, for Group 3 commissioner, is heading to a runoff as neither Tom Wells, with 39% of the vote, and Richard Lara, with 47%, reached the 50% plus one threshold needed to win.
Lara is Lago’s top choice and a key component in his mission to regain control of the city commission that often sided against him and Anderson on legislation, including the 101% raise and the hiring of a city manager without a formal search process.
Mayor: Vince Lago 55.47; Michael A. Abbott 6.82%; Kirk Menendez 37.72%.
Group Two Commissioner: Rhonda Anderson 58.24% ; Laureano Cancio 4.47% ; Felix Pardo 37.29%.
Group Three Commissioner: Richard Lara 47.20% ; Claudia Miro 13.57% ; Tom Wells 39.23%.
Miami Shores
In Miami Shores, three candidates ran for three open seats on the Village Council. Incumbents Neil Cantor and Jerome Charles received the highest share of the vote and will serve four-year terms while third-place candidate Patrick Barry Devaney will settle for a two-year term.
Historically, the top two candidates are also appointed to the mayor and vice mayors positions, according to the Miami Shores election page.
Turnout was less than half of what the municipality saw in 2023, with only 1,017 or 14.2% of voters turning out.
Village Council: Neil Cantor 36.93%; Jerome Charles 39.88%; Patrick Barry Devaney 23.20%.
