Jesse Scheckner
Mayor Vince Lago notched big wins during Coral Gables’ election this month, securing a third term by a sizable margin and reclaiming sway over the City Commission through its newest member, Richard Lara, and the re-election of Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson.
Their fundraising and personalities played no small part in delivering them victory. But all three also benefited from the expertise of consulting firms Berthier Group and Miranda Advocacy+, whose marketing strategies and concentration on clear, factual communication helped reorient power at City Hall.
Determined to outperform voter turnout from 2023, when two underdog candidates upset a well-funded pair Lago backed and led to his losing control of the dais, Berthier and Miranda say they engaged in more targeted outreach and data-driven messaging.
They hammered controversial votes that Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez made with now-former Commissioner Kirk Menendez to give themselves huge pay raises, fire and hire a new City Manager, and eschew hiring an Inspector General.
To reach voters effectively, the firms developed a multichannel communications strategy involving targeted text messages, direct mail, email and viral social media content. Several of their videos attracted more than 10,000 views — an unprecedented digital milestone in Coral Gables politics, they said.
“By closely aligning our message matrix with outreach and direct contact efforts, we were able to identify supporters and get them out to vote,” Alex Miranda of Miranda Advocacy+ said.
“Our efforts paid off, as seen in the record-setting turnout during both the General Election and the runoff.”
Coral Gables’ General Election turnout this year was the highest of any in the city at least this century, according to the Miami-Dade County Elections Department. The result, the consultants said, was a “clear referendum” on the trio’s actions and a surge in voter engagement.
Voter turnout for the April 8 General Election was nearly 30%, up from about 21% in 2023. Lago beat Menendez and a third challenger with 55.5% support. Anderson beat two opponents with 58.25% of the vote.
Lara, who was forced into a runoff, ultimately won his race with nearly a 55.5% share of ballots cast in his favor after securing several notable endorsements.
Berthier Group principal Jesse Manzano-Plaza said post-election analyses of voter data revealed that both incumbents, Lago and Anderson, built broad coalitions spanning party lines, age groups and neighborhood lines.
“Coral Gables’ voters are sophisticated,” he said in a statement. “Focusing on a facts-based campaign was critical to communicate and reinforce the Mayor’s goals and objectives effectively.”
Lago, a Republican, won a two-year term and will continue serving through 2027. Anderson and Lara, respectively a Democrat and Republican, each won a four-year term and will serve through 2029.
All three carried significantly larger war chests than their opponents.
Castro and Fernandez, who won office in 2023, were not on the ballot. They’ll be up for re-election in 2027.
The five-seat City Commission is technically nonpartisan, as are its elections.
