Jesse Scheckner
A race for the Coral Gables Commission’s Group 3 seat isn’t settled yet. Candidates Richard Lara and Tom Wells are headed to an April 22 runoff after neither received a large enough share of the vote to clinch the job Tuesday.
With all 16 precincts reporting, Laara and Wells had 47.3% and 39.2% of the vote, respectively. The city’s election rules require a candidate to receive more than half the vote to win outright.
For third-place candidate Claudia Miro, the race is over.
Tuesday’s election comes amid mounting concerns about construction projects in Coral Gables and tensions at City Hall, where a divided Commission has clashed over myriad issues over the past two years.
Accordingly, all three Group 3 candidates listed a lack of civility in government and overdevelopment as top concerns.
The winner on April 22 will replace outgoing Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor. Menendez held a swing vote on the divided dais at City Hall, and, accordingly, Lara or Wells will inherit it.
Lara, a 56-year-old lawyer who works as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Spanish Broadcasting System, was incumbent Mayor Vince Lago’s preferred candidate, and he enjoyed funding support from him and his allies.
Since entering the race last February, Lara raised $145,000 through his campaign account, with hundreds of checks from fellow lawyers and numerous contributions from real estate interests.
He had spent more than half that sum by March 21.
Lara’s community involvement includes several Florida Bar committee memberships and service on the Coral Gables Anti-Crime Committee, among voluntary posts.
He told Coral Gables Magazine that, as a City Commissioner, he hoped to bring “transparency, integrity, accountability, and professionalism” while working to bring more consensus to City Hall. He also promised to cut taxes “while ensuring world-class city services” and to ensure “taxpayer dollars are invested into the community or given back to residents — NOT used by politicians to give themselves pay raises.”
That last bit was a knock against Menendez and Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez, who voted against Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson to hike their salaries considerably in late 2023.
Wells, a 62-year-old lawyer who serves as Vice Chair of the Coral Gables Charter Review Committee, said the conflicts at City Hall inspired him to run.
He promised, if elected, to streamline government meetings and expand residential amenities, including the construction of permanent pickleball courts at the Biltmore Tennis Center. He also opposed a proposed 2% tax reduction that “would have cut the (city) budget by $2.65 million and been a windfall to property owners who do not reside in Coral Gables but only … a very small benefit to residents.”
Wells ran an almost exclusively self-funded campaign. He reported raising $1,000 through March 21, all his money, and $6,500 worth of in-kind spending — also overwhelmingly by him — on campaign costs.
Miro, 49, boasted ample experience in government and politics, with past jobs including Chief of Staff to the city of Miami’s Chief Operating Officer, Director posts with the Republican Party of Florida, a communications job with the Attorney General’s Office and numerous local advisory board memberships, including Coral Gables’ Planning and Zoning Board.
For the past three years, she worked as an executive at Miami-based micro-transit company Freebee.
Miro told the Miami Herald she wanted to be a “true voice” for residents and bring “informed leadership” to the dais. She said “irresponsible development,” public safety and a lack of transparency and decorum at Commission meetings are issues she hopes to address if elected. She also vowed to strengthen emergency services, promote clearer financial reporting and smart budgeting, and improve city maintenance.
Miro reported raising $34,500 and spending $19,300 by March 21. Her donors listed Miami-Dade County addresses, though most were outside of Coral Gables.
A political committee called Your Voice, Your Gables that she launched Dec. 10 reported no activity by Dec. 31, the last day from which campaign finance reporting was due. Florida’s relatively new campaign finance rules don’t require the PC’s new numbers through the end of last month until April 10, two days after Election Day.
Lara and Miro are registered Republicans, while Wells is a Democrat. Coral Gables’ elections are technically nonpartisan.
