Vince Lago campaign reports $200K raised in 1 day toward re-election as Coral Gables Mayor

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A campaign kickoff for Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago added nearly $200,000 to his re-election war chest, his campaign said.

The one-day event drew “a large crowd of supporters and community leaders” from Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County. Donors gave money to Lago’s campaign account and political committee, Coral Gables First.

Official campaign finance reports from local candidates are due by the end of Monday.

In a statement, Lago thanked his family, neighbors and friends for the “overwhelming support” they’ve given him over the past four years.

“Since being elected to serve the residents of Coral Gables over a decade ago, we have worked hard to lower taxes, fight overdevelopment and keep Coral Gables safe, always putting our residents first,” he said. “Together, we will continue to build on our city’s successes and address the challenges ahead.”

Lago was first elected to the Coral Gables Commission in 2013. He later became the city’s Vice Mayor. Residents elected him Mayor in 2021 and re-elected him in 2023. Coral Gables voters will elect a Mayor and two city Commissioners in April next year.

So far, Lago is the only person running for Mayor.

Lago encountered opposition and controversy over the past year after two new Commissioners defeated candidates he backed and took oppositional stances against policies and proposals he supported.

That included big pay raises for the City Commission that passed in September with him and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson voting “no” and a halt in the development of a long-planned Mobility Hub on Miracle Mile.

In January, Lago sued a local radio station for defamation after it aired an interview with one of the Commissioners, Ariel Fernandez. The suit said Fernandez and radio host Roberto Rodriguez Tejera “falsely” claimed Lago was the subject of a Miami-Dade Ethics Commission investigation. Lago was, in fact, under a since-closed preliminary review by the agency, which is not an investigation.

A citizen effort to recall Lago came this year, but it failed after not receiving the requisite number of signatures. Lago said the push was funded by “dark money.”

Last week, Coral Gables police confirmed they were investigating an incident that took place at City Hall on June 4 between the Mayor and City Manager Amos Rojas Jr., whom the city hired in February over Lago and Anderson’s objections.

Lago’s attorney, Ben Keuhne, told media outlets that his client “categorically refutes any allegation regarding an altercation at City Hall” and that the issue amounted to “political theater from a City Manager who was appointed in violation of Florida’s Sunshine Law.”

He said a witness “can and will corroborate the Mayor’s position.”

Coral Gables’ General Election is on April 8, 2025. Candidates have until Feb. 21 to qualify.