Voting begins Tuesday for key runoff races across Miami, Hialeah and Miami Beach, where several positions remained undecided after the Nov. 4 general election.
- In Miami Beach, residents will fill a commission seat
- Hialeah will elect two councilmembers
- City of Miami voters will elect a mayor and fill a commission seat
Here’s what you need to know before you cast your ballot.
Hialeah
Hialeah voters have two races on the ballot, both filling council member seats. Voting will be at the John F. Kennedy Library, 190 W. 49th St. from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Councilmember Group III:
- Jessica Castillo
- Gelien Perez
Gelien Perez, a former Hialeah human resources director under former Mayor Carlos Hernandez, led the campaign fundraising field with $224,370 collected.
During her time as HR director, Perez was investigated following complaints that she abused her position to benefit her real estate business. However, mayor-elect Bryan Clavo told the Miami Herald, “She brings the most experience and insight into how Hialeah functions.”
Her opponent, Jessica Castillo, is a social worker and a non-partisan candidate. Despite a lack of political experience and just $1,176 in campaign funds, she has built momentum through a grassroots campaign focused on transparency and accountability.
She has posted photos of her participating in October’s anti-Trump “No Kings” protest. Perez’s campaign circulated mailers labeling her as a “liberal.”
Despite the fundraising gap between the two candidates, Perez led Castillo by only 4.5 percentage points, 40.5% to 36% – a margin of just 697 votes out of 15,582 ballots cast.
Councilmember Group IV:
- William “Willy” Marrero
- Javier Morejon
William “Willy” Marrero, 22, is a former aide to Hialeah Councilman Luis Rodriguez. When he applied in May for an interim seat on the council, several members argued he was too young to fill the vacancy.
Marrero began his political involvement at 15, working alongside former state Sen. Rene Garcia, and is now pursuing a degree in public administration at Florida International University.
Mayor-elect Bryan Calvo, the youngest person ever elected to the top job in that city at age 27, praised Marrero’s experience as a council aide, telling the Miami Herald that Marrero, “understands how city bureaucracy functions and aims to take a strong role in delivering robust constituent services to residents.”
Javier Morejon holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from FIU and works as a land-use specialist. His campaign priorities include infrastructure, improving city services, and transparency. He also wants to repair streets and drainage in flood-prone areas.
In the general election, Marrero finished with 24.9% of the vote, with Morejon close behind at 23.4%.
City of Miami
City of Miami voters head to the polls to choose the city’s next mayor and a city commissioner. Residents will be able to vote from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at these eight polling places:
- Carrie P. Meek Senior and Cultural Center, 1300 NW 50th St., Liberty City
- Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Coconut Grove
- Gerry Curtis Park Community Center, 1901 NW 24th Ave., Allapattah
- Hispanic Branch Library, 1398 SW First St. #100, Little Havana
- Legion Memorial Park Community Center, 6447 NE Seventh Ave., Upper East Side
- Shenandoah Branch Library, 2111 SW 19th St., Shenandoah
- Stephen P. Clark Center lobby, 111 NW First St., Downtown Miami
- West Flagler Branch Library, 5050 W. Flagler St., Flagami
Mayoral Candidates:
- Eileen Higgins
- Emilio Gonzalez
All eyes are on the City of Miami mayoral race, which some observers are calling a political “bellwether” ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Miami Herald wrote that the election “could become the latest indicator of Republicans’ ability to hold their grip on Congress.”
Miami voters will choose between Republican and former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez and Democrat and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins. The mayoral position is technically nonpartisan.
President Donald Trump endorsed Gonzalez on Nov. 18, following widespread Republican losses earlier this month in Virginia, California and New Jersey.
“GET OUT AND VOTE FOR EMILIO — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Following Trump’s endorsement, the Democratic National Committee endorsed their support for Higgins – a rare move, since the national party typically does not get involved in local mayoral races.
“Between now and Election Day, the DNC is all-in to elect Eileen Higgins and ensure Miami families have a champion who is fighting for them, not Donald Trump,” said DNC Chairman Ken Martin.
If Higgins wins the runoff, she would become the city’s first female mayor and its first non-Hispanic mayor since 1993, when former mayor Steve Clark secured reelection with 59% of the vote. She will also be the first Democratic mayor of Miami in nearly 30 years.
Higgins is campaigning for prioritizing small businesses and the housing crisis. She also pledges to expedite the slow permitting process, which she attributes to stalled flood mitigation projects and critical infrastructure updates.
González’s tenure as Miami’s city manager ended amid conflict with the city commission, when allegations surfaced that he expedited a permit for his home. Recently, he successfully sued to stop the city’s efforts to postpone the election without voter approval. He campaigns for transparency, fiscal oversight and restoring public trust.
City Commission Seat:
- Frank Carollo
- Rolando Escalona
Frank Carollo, a certified public accountant, former city commissioner, and the brother of Joe Carollo, represented District 3 from 2009 to 2017. During his tenure, he helped launch the Havana Trolley and oversaw upgrades to the city’s stormwater systems.
But many argue Carollo shouldn’t be in the race at all. Voters overwhelmingly approved a Nov. 4 ballot referendum limiting elected officials in the city to two terms as mayor and two terms as commissioner in their lifetime. Carollo has already served two terms, but a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge ruled he can stay on the runoff ballot.
Rolando Escalona is a political newcomer and the general manager of Japanese restaurant Sexy Fish in Brickell. If he wins, he would break the Carollo family’s 16-year streak of representing District 3, which includes The Roads, Little Havana and East Shenandoah.
Escalona told the Miami Herald he plans to have an “open-door policy” if elected, encouraging residents to bring their concerns directly to him.
Miami Beach
Miami Beach voters head to the polls today to decide the Group I commission seat. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., four voting sites will be open:
- Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive, South Beach
- South Shore Community Center, 833 Sixth St., South Beach
- Muss Park, 4300 Chase Ave., Mid Beach
- North Shore Branch Library, 7501 Collins Ave., North Beach
Group I Commission Seat:
- Monica Matteo-Salinas
- Monique Pardo Pope
Monica Matteo-Salinas previously served as an aide to Miami Beach Commissioners Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Alex Fernandez. She also chaired the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation, a group focused on affordable housing issues.
Matteo-Salinas secured endorsements from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Laura Dominguez, who just won reelection on Nov. 4. Her campaign centers on affordability and food security.
Monique Pardo Pope is a family-law attorney and the president of the nonprofit Women’s Cancer Association at the University of Miami. She vows to address homeless camping and partner with developers.
Pope is also the daughter of Manuel Pardo, a former Sweetwater police officer who killed nine people over 92 days in 1986. He was convicted of murder in 1988, following the signing of his death warrant by Gov. Rick Scott, and executed in 2012.
In 2013, Pope posted on Instagram a tribute to her dad with a caption saying, “My daddy, my hero…Michi girl loves you eternally. Happy Father’s Day, Papi.”
Video by Valeria De Souza and Sarah Mayorca, story by Sofia Baltodano.
