By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago appeared in the national spotlight on Monday with the publication of an opinion piece in The Washington Post, where he argued that Florida Republicans’ embrace of environmental policy has been central to the party’s growing dominance in the state.

The op-ed, titled “How did Florida’s GOP turn a blue bastion red? By going green,” positions environmental action as a Republican strength that has helped transform Miami-Dade County and Florida more broadly from a Democratic-leaning region into a Republican stronghold.

Linking the red wave to green policy

In the piece, Lago pointed to the results of the 2024 election, when Donald Trump won more than 55 percent of the Miami-Dade County vote. He argued that the GOP’s willingness to adopt environmentally focused reforms played a role in expanding its appeal.

“Instead of treating the environment and climate change as backbench issues, Florida’s conservatives have for years made environmental action a top priority,” Lago wrote. “And that has been a significant factor in our electoral success.”

He cited initiatives in Coral Gables as examples of local leadership, including building the state’s largest municipal electric vehicle fleet, creating the largest network of charging stations, requiring LEED certification for new large-scale buildings, and waiving solar permit fees. Lago noted that his own home has been powered by solar energy for nearly a decade.

“These policies came without the slightest electoral cost to Republicans,” he wrote, suggesting that environmental reforms and Republican electoral strength have advanced together.

State-level examples

Lago also highlighted recent environmental legislation enacted by the Florida Legislature. These included funding for Everglades restoration, water quality improvements, land conservation, and climate resilience projects.

“What happened when Florida Republicans chose to make environmental reform a priority?” he asked, before pointing to election results: Gov. Ron DeSantis increasing his winning margin by 19 points from 2018 to 2022, and Trump’s gains in Florida over three presidential elections.

According to Lago, those victories were not achieved in spite of Republican environmental policies but partly because of them.

National implications

Throughout the piece, Lago framed Florida as a model for Republicans nationwide, contending that voters across the political spectrum care deeply about protecting natural resources. He pointed to polling that shows strong support for renewable energy, nuclear power, and expanded climate action.

“Here in Florida, people want smaller government and pristine nature,” he wrote. “We want low taxes and investments in clean energy. As Florida proves, there is no contradiction between being a red-blooded Republican and a green-hearted lover of the environment.”

Lago also cited Republican support for free-market-oriented policies such as carbon capture, nuclear energy, pollution tariffs, and carbon pricing, while distancing his argument from federal mandates or Democratic tax-credit incentives.

Local voice, national platform

The op-ed’s appearance in The Washington Post marks an unusual moment for a Coral Gables mayor, placing a local figure in a national forum on an issue with broad political stakes. Lago positioned his message as guidance for Republicans beyond Florida, urging party leaders in other states to adopt similar approaches.

“If my party wants to flip not just South Florida but also blue counties and states across the nation, then Republican mayors, legislators and other leaders should embrace Florida’s pro-market, pro-environmental playbook,” he wrote.

Event context

The piece appears at a time of shifting political dynamics in South Florida. Miami-Dade County, once seen as a Democratic stronghold, has tilted Republican in recent elections. Coral Gables has also seen contentious debates over growth, governance, and accountability during Lago’s tenure as mayor.

While the op-ed was written under his own name and reflects his views as a Republican, its publication in a national outlet places both Coral Gables and its leader within the broader conversation about the GOP’s strategy heading into future elections.