With Coral Gables voters set to return to the polls on Tuesday, April 22, turnout for the highly anticipated Commission, Group III runoff between Richard Lara and Thomas Wells is already shaping up to be substantial. Over 15 percent of eligible voters have already cast their ballots, either by mail or during early voting over the Easter weekend.
Early voting, which took place on April 19 and 20—including Easter Sunday—saw more than 1,800 voters head to the polls. Combined with over 3,000 vote-by-mail ballots already returned, early participation is approaching half of the total turnout from the April 8 biennial election, a notable figure considering runoff elections typically experience lower voter engagement.
Candidates and their campaigns
Lara, who led the April 8 general election with 47.2 percent of the vote, fell just short of the 50 percent threshold required to avoid a runoff. Wells, with 39.2 percent, trailed behind. The remaining votes in the race went to Claudia Miro, who has since endorsed Lara and joined him on Saturday at the Coral Gables Branch Library, where both candidates actively engaged with voters during the final days of early voting.
While Lara enters the runoff with a lead, recent history in Coral Gables offers a cautionary tale. In 2023, Commissioner Melissa Castro made a dramatic comeback in her runoff race, despite trailing by a wider margin in the initial round. Wells is hoping to replicate that result.
Both candidates have been actively canvassing neighborhoods in the final days leading up to Election Day, pushing to ensure strong turnout. But the race has been marked by a lopsided fundraising battle. Since the April 8 vote, Lara has raised more than $100,000, bringing his total campaign funds to over $272,000. In contrast, Wells, largely self-funding his campaign, has reported $19,000 in total fundraising.
Fundraising, political alliances
The fundraising gap has drawn attention to the political alliances at play. Lara is widely considered to be aligned with Mayor Vince Lago, who has publicly supported him for months. Lago even used his election night victory speech to urge supporters to help push Lara over the finish line. Financial backing for both candidates reflects a similar dynamic, with Lago also significantly outraising his challengers.
Despite this, Lara has pushed back against being pigeonholed as part of a pre-formed voting bloc with Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson. He has consistently maintained that he had no relationship with the mayor prior to launching his campaign and insists that his platform is independent.
Meanwhile, Wells is framing the election as a defining moment for the city’s political future. On April 19, he characterized the runoff as Coral Gables’ last chance to prevent a mayor-led majority from dominating the commission. Wells has pointed to Lara’s extensive list of campaign donors—many of whom are from outside the city and include several developers—as evidence of special interest influence in the race.
What’s at stake: Commission control?
The outcome of Tuesday’s election will play a crucial role in determining where power rests on the commission dais. The result could shape the direction of Coral Gables’ politics for years to come, especially as outgoing Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who lost his mayoral bid to Lago, often clashed with the mayor and sided with Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez on major issues over the last two years.
As the race enters its final stretch, the question of who will control the commission—and thus the future of Coral Gables—is at the forefront of the debate between Lara and Wells.
This Post Has 8 Comments
There have been comments made couple of weeks ago, that Lara was selected or annointed by Mayor Lago to run and perhaps win. In the history of elections as far as I can remember, any candidate seeking reelection, whether for president, governor or even mayor, they will always seek and endorse candidates that would help them move their agendas forward. There is nothing wrong with that.
I had sent Well an email early on in this process with a question, for which he never replied. That to me means that he was not interested in what a resident of CG for over 23 years had to say.
I remember in Argentina people would say, “we voted the the least of two evils” or “votamos por el menos peor”. That is why CG residents have selected Mayor Lago and Commisioner Anderson to continue, each of them the “least of two evils”.
This election is most interesting as there are “false prophets” amongts us. Politics is not for everyone, and those that decide to run and serve the residents, have a moral obligation to us and not for them to enrich themselves. Make your vote count.
Wow, Max…when you talk about a moral obligation to serve the residents and not enrich themselves you can’t possibly be talking about Lago. No moral compass exists there.
I’m not going to comment on Anderson except to say that if you think the race between Anderson and Felix Pardo resulted in the election of the lesser of two evils, or el menos peor, you are 100% wrong. You don’t know Felix Pardo, but if you ask anyone who really knows him they’ll tell you how very wrong you are. Never has anyone referred to him as the lesser evil or evil at all. His 40 years of selflessly serving the city are to be lauded and not one candidate ever can even begin to compare or match that record. Instead of making offensive comments, inform yourself on the real issues facing our city…and the huge mistake voters made by reelecting Anderson and Lago.
Talk to people who know Felix Pardo to hear the truth…don’t take my word for it, I may be a tad biased…I’ve been married to him for almost 47 years.
(Also Lago most definitely recruited Non-Voter Lara…look at the money he’s spent campaigning for Lara in the runoff.)
There is always to sides to every story. All that the residents need to do is follow the money. In this specific race you have two candidates, one that has financed his campaign with his own money; has not hired any one to canvass for him or to staff the polling places. Didn’t even hire someone to run his campaign. One that has been active in the City way before deciding to run for office. One who has lived in the City for a very long time. His name is Tom Wells.
On the other hand you have a candidate that continues to try to convince us that he has lived here since he was a kid! He has forgotten the years that he lived in Westchestet and couldn’t vote in Coral Gables. He has mention in some way that he considered himself a long time resident!
One who never was involved in any City activity, never attended any Commission meetings until he was recruited to run against who he said was his friend! One who in February 2024 announced that he was serving in the
Anti-Crime Committer of the City, and was not even aware that in September 2022 that Committee had been dissolved by a Resolution of the Coral Gables City Commission! Perhaps he was not aware of that fact because there were no meetings held for lack of quorum,
And where did most of the money come from? Follow it!
From most of the people connected to Lago and Lago’s political action committee. Why would that matter? Perhaps because developers usually do not contribute to campaigns unless there is something in for them. His name is Richard Lara. You’ve the judge! Who can you expect to do what is best for the City? Who can you expect to be independent?
For all of the above i voted for Tom Wells, endorsed by the Miami Herald and who will do what is best for our City!
There is always two sides to every story. All that the residents need to do is follow the money. In this specific race you have two candidates, one that has financed his campaign with his own money; has not hired any one to canvass for him or to staff the polling places. Didn’t even hire someone to run his campaign. One that has been active in the City way before deciding to run for office. One who has lived in the City for a very long time. His name is Tom Wells.
On the other hand you have a candidate that continues to try to convince us that he has lived here since he was a kid! He has forgotten the years that he lived in Westchestet and couldn’t vote in Coral Gables. He has mention in some way that he considered himself a long time resident!
One who never was involved in any City activity, never attended any Commission meetings until he was recruited to run against who he said was his friend! One who in February 2024 announced that he was serving in the
Anti-Crime Committer of the City, and was not even aware that in September 2022 that Committee had been dissolved by a Resolution of the Coral Gables City Commission! Perhaps he was not aware of that fact because there were no meetings held for lack of quorum,
And where did most of the money come from? Follow it!
From most of the people connected to Lago and Lago’s political action committee. Why would that matter? Perhaps because developers usually do not contribute to campaigns unless there is something in for them. His name is Richard Lara. You’ve the judge! Who can you expect to do what is best for the City? Who can you expect to be independent?
For all of the above i voted for Tom Wells, endorsed by the Miami Herald and who will do what is best for our City!
There have been many comments Richard Lara has not voted in some elections. WHY are you all making such a big deal…..
* Melissa Castro who won on a run-off election 2 years ago…NEVER voted on any elections, according to her words on run-off day 2 years ago, she had just registered to VOTE.
First VOTE…voted for herself, lifetime election. Melissa does not own property in CORAL GABLES, yet she votes on issues important to City Residents, property owners in the CITY.
Yes that makes a difference. And yes go ahead and say otherwise, which I am sure there will be comments made.
Had never even voted on any ELECTIONS, National or otherwise, why? Only she knows.
SO lets cut the Lara has not voted on some elections.
Tom Wells wants to keep elections in APRIL as well as KIRK, ARIEL and Melissa…They must have know this April fell on Easter week-end when most residents are out of town and voting would be down. Coincidence , I say not, Purposely..YES. CORAL GABLES election MUST be moved to NOVEMBER with all general elections.
After this election, I am done posting comments in this KFC propaganda machine.
VOTE for RICHARD LARA, for return to normalcy.
Richard Lara hasn’t voted in a Coral Gables election since 1999. Ever. That’s 25 years! How can you even try to justify that??
He doesn’t give a hoot about Coral Gables’ real issues or he would have voted in our elections. No excuse for that, no matter how you want to try to twist the facts.
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