Early voting begins this Friday in the Miami special election to replace a recently deceased city commissioner.
Residents in the city’s District 4 — which includes parts of Flagami, Shenandoah and Little Havana — will vote in a new commissioner after the passing of Manolo Reyes. Reyes died on April 11 after a battle with Leukemia. He was 80 years old.
READ MORE: Manolo Reyes, Miami City Commissioner, passes away at age 80
Early voting will run from May 30 to June 1 at the Shenandoah and West Flagler Branch Libraries. Voting runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
On Election Day, Tuesday, June 3, voters in District 4 should report to their assigned precinct on their voter registration card.
The two candidates running in next week’s election are Jose Francisco Regalado and Ralph (Rafael) Rosado.
Regalado is the brother of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado and former Miami City Mayor — and current Miami-Dade Property Appraiser — Tomás Regalado. He’s worked in the city administration for seven years, and has held the position of assistant director of Miami’s Building Department since 2021.
Regalado raised nearly $119,000 in campaign contributions from April 1 to May 16, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosures.
He’s received donations from several established players in Miami-Dade County politics, including lobbyist and Miami-Dade Homeless Trust Chairman Ron Book, former Republican State Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla and former Miami City Attorney Victoria Méndez.
Rosado works as an urban planner at his own firm and previously served as the manager of North Bay Village.
Rosado is personal friends with former City Attorney Méndez and her husband, Carlos Morales. He was the founding president of their nonprofit, the Abuelos Foundation, in 2016. The nonprofit helps distribute meals to the elderly.
Campaign finance records show Rosado raised nearly $59,000 as of May 16.
Rosado has the support of Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and his political committee, Miami First, which has paid for multiple anti-Regalado campaign ads according to the Miami Herald.
The Miami Herald also reports that Regalado has the support of the late Commissioner Reyes’ family, including his widow.
More information on the special election can be found on the Miami City Clerk’s website.
