Richard Lara’s decisive victory in the April 22 runoff for the Coral Gables Commission Group III seat was no beginner’s luck. It was the result of meticulous strategy, extensive voter outreach, and a significant fundraising advantage over his opponent Tom Wells. Lara’s ability to understand and leverage the changing dynamics of voter behavior—particularly the increasing reliance on early and absentee voting—was central to his success. His broad support across precincts, combined with a massive financial edge, allowed him to dominate the race and secure a commanding win.
Strong voter turnout for a runoff election
The first factor that significantly contributed to Lara’s success was record-breaking turnout. In a runoff election, historically low turnout is the norm, but this year was different. A total of 7,873 votes were cast in the runoff, which represents 23.1% of registered voters. This is a record high for a Coral Gables runoff election, far surpassing the previous record the 2021 runoff set, which had 7,200 votes cast.
This increase in participation was driven by several factors, including an aggressive campaign and a rising public awareness of the election. Importantly, the higher turnout in this race wasn’t just from Election Day voters—it was driven by absentee and early voting:
- Mail ballots accounted for 54% of the total votes in the runoff—more than in-person voting (which traditionally dominates elections).
- Early voting was particularly strong for Lara, who received 60% of early votes, reinforcing his broad support base.
This shift towards absentee and early voting helped Lara mobilize a broader electorate, securing the vote-by-mail and early-voting bases that Wells could not overcome.
Fundraising: Lara’s financial edge
Another pivotal factor in Lara’s victory was his fundraising advantage. Lara raised $271,950 for his campaign, a stark contrast to Wells’ $19,420—almost all of which came from Wells’ own pocket. The fundraising gap was a decisive factor that enabled Lara to dominate campaign messaging and voter outreach.
Lara’s campaign used its resources to flood Coral Gables with ads, mailers, and extensive voter outreach. The financial muscle Lara wielded enabled him to reach voters across the city, even those who voted early or by mail. Wells, on the other hand, could not match this level of outreach, especially given that his financial backing was largely self-funded and his resources were stretched thin.
The deluge of campaign materials, ads, and direct voter contact during the critical 14-day period after the April 8 election gave Lara the edge in a race where name recognition and visibility played critical roles.
Precinct-level performance: Lara’s strong, consistent support
Lara’s victory wasn’t confined to just a few areas of Coral Gables—he consistently performed well across the city’s 16 precincts. He won 13 of those precincts, which demonstrates his broad-based support across a diverse range of neighborhoods.
The precinct-level data reveals Lara’s dominance including:
- Precinct 617 (Coral Gables Fire Station No. 3) was Lara’s biggest win, where he outperformed Wells by 169 votes, securing 391 votes to Wells’ 222.
- In Precinct 611 (Coral Gables Senior High School), Lara triumphed by 160 votes, capturing 428 votes to Wells’ 268.
- Precinct 608 (The Country Club of Coral Gables), another stronghold for Lara, saw him win by 99 votes, earning 390 votes compared to 291 votes for Wells.
In contrast, Wells only won Precinct 604 (American Legion Post No. 98) and Precinct 613 (Ponce De Leon Middle School), showing that his support was localized in certain pockets of the city. Lara, by winning more than 80% of the precincts, demonstrated that his support was both broad and deep across Coral Gables.
Shift in voter behavior: More mail ballots, early voting
Another key factor in Lara’s success was the shift in voter behavior. As mentioned, mail ballots and early voting became the dominant forms of participation in this runoff. This was a significant departure from the April 8 general election, where in-person voting still had a major influence.
Lara excelled in these methods of voting:
- He received 373 more early votes than Wells, securing 60% of the early vote.
- He also won 383 more mail ballots than Wells, capturing 54% of the mail vote.
This change in voter behavior is critical to understanding why Lara won. The expansion of absentee and early voting meant that candidates who could effectively engage voters outside of Election Day had a distinct advantage—and Lara’s campaign capitalized on this trend.
New Political narrative: Mayor Lago’s backing a boost
While Lara framed his campaign as an effort to bring civility and focus on resident-driven policies, his support from Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson loomed large throughout the race. Despite Lara’s insistence on independence, his victory may give the mayor a majority on the commission.
The three-vote bloc of Lago, Anderson, and now Lara would be pivotal in future city governance and would position the mayor and his allies to have substantial influence over key policy decisions, from development to citywide planning. Lara’s win may reflect the consolidation of power that Lago sought during the election cycle, and with his victory, Lago appears now to have the majority vote in the commission.
While Lara’s support was certainly broad-based, his win is tied to the larger political alliances that are shaping the city’s future. Lara’s role on the commission will likely be one of continued support for Lago’s agenda, especially given the shared interests in economic development and growth in Coral Gables.
Looking forward
As Lara joins the City Commission, his victory signals not only a political shift in Coral Gables but also a new era of governance.
For Coral Gables, Lara’s win raises questions about how the city will balance its rapid growth with the concerns of residents. The political landscape has shifted, and Lara’s victory will shape how Coral Gables evolves in the years to come.
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My thoughts on Lara’s victory, which would never have occurred without the alliance, support and financial backing of Vince Lago, leave a lot to be said, but there is one point I can’t ignore.
As a 35 year resident of Coral Gables, whose mother was American and father was Cuban, I can’t be accused of bias towards either group. In fact, I feel blessed and proud to have inherited the rich heritage of both countries. However, I feel anyone who voted for Lara has no shame.
My American side knows that voting is a fundamental right and the bedrock of our democracy. And it’s insulting to think that Lara didn’t vote in Coral Gables elections since 1999. That clearly indicates Lara’s total lack of concern and engagement in our city’s issues. Zero, Zip, Nada.
My Cuban side is even more insulted, as Lara states he is the son of Cuban immigrants. If those immigrant parents had stayed in Cuba, they wouldn’t have seen a fair and democratic election in Lara’s lifetime, and even longer than that. To think that their son wouldn’t exercise the privilege to vote, granted to him by the country to which they fled, beyond insulting.
And to the voters who gave him their vote…shame on you.
Ho Hum. I can care less about voting history. You want to talk about fair and democratic? How about the “firing” of a city manager and having a “replacement” already in mind during the SAME COMMISSION MEETING? Notwithstanding, how about refusing to have a national search for the city manager’s position to ensure you have the best candidates available? Very “fair and democratic”! And how about the way the commsision salaries were presented without an opportunity for citizens to opine? Maybe that’s why the election ended up the way it did.
You are definitely part of the problem. Voting in our municipal elections is the way to voice your opinion and change things within your own community. Take off your blinders and look into the City Charter which is the rule of law for our city. Citizens aren’t asked to opine on commission salaries according to the Charter. If you want to enact change you have to vote. Defend Lara’s non-voting record all you want. You are definitely part of the problem.
I guess the majority of citizens that voted have a problem according to you. But, you are right; this is a DEMOCRACY and THE VOTERS SPOKE, overwhelmingly! The largest turnout in city history. Stop insulting the citizens of this city. They did NOT want Tom Wells, PERIOD! Respect the results of this election and stop crying. Democracy and free elections have spoken!
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I guess the majority of citizens that voted have a problem. You are right; this is a DEMOCRACY and THE VOTERS SPOKE, overwhelmingly! The largest turnout in city history. Stop insulting the citizens of this city. They did NOT want Tom Wells, PERIOD! Respect the results of this election and stop crying. Democracy and free elections have spoken!
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My issue is that in the comments from Lara voters, people haven’t given reasons why they liked Lara over Wells. They complain about “KFC” and so they voted for someone they knew would give the majority back to Lago/Anderson. In other words, there vote was more about punishing Fernandez and Castro. Had people really cared about “democracy”, as I’ve seen many Lara voters claim, they would’ve taken into consideration that Tom Wells has shown that he is NOT aligned with one side (Lago/Anderson) or the other (Fernandez/Castro). He was not taking money from either side. He did not receive endorsements from either side. He proved himself to be an independent thinker and voice and in this election. Had people considered that, we might have ended up with a balanced commission with Wells acting as the swing vote based on his own knowledge/opinion. Lara will only dance with the one who brought him there – Lago. So our commission will remain out of balance and the infighting will continue, along with the out of control growth of what used to be the “City Beautiful”.
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