The 2026 Ballot

The candidates are qualified. The "local press"…not quite.

The qualifying period for the 2026 General Biennial Election has officially concluded. As the city prepares for its first November election, our candidates are gearing up for the most important election season in city history.

There are a few familiar names among the slate, including perennial candidate and gadfly Rip Holmes, who surprisingly did not run in the 2025 April election. The name that comes as the most pleasant surprise is Nikki Whiting, who filed earlier this week in Fernandez’s open seat, Group V. Nikki comes with an extensive background in government and an impressive resume, having worked as the Deputy Director of Communications for Governor Ron Desantis, Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, and adviser to Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez. This short list, sourced from her company website, doesn’t do Nikki justice; her background is remarkable and affords her a level of government experience we have not seen in a Commission candidate in a long time.

Along with Whiting, Gonzalo Sanabria has also filed in Group V. Sanabria is a well known name in our city, having made multiple appearances before the City Commission in the last few years, particularly challenging Fernandez and his actions. Sanabria currently serves on the Planning & Zoning Board and has been an active member of our community for decades. Sanabria has been a guest on Episode 7 of my podcast, Politics in Paradise, and was a vocal critic against the hiring of Famous Amos Rojas Jr., who served as City Manager during the most tumultuous era of KFC.

In Group IV, Commissioner Melissa Castro has filed for re-election, challenged by Nestor Menendez. Nestor has previously served on the Transportation Advisory Board, Planning & Zoning Board, and the Charter Review Committee. Nestor resigned from his position on the Planning & Zoning board earlier this year in good faith as he sought public office. These three board positions alone have bestowed upon Nestor a comprehensive and diverse knowledge of some of the most important issues in Coral Gables. Transportation and development are enduring topics in Coral Gables elections and Nestor’s time on these boards has given him valuable experience in these subject areas. Unlike Nestor, Castro had no board experience when she filed for candidacy in 2023. Call it chisme, call it insight, but Castro’s residency status before filing in 2023 was questionable. Menendez on the other hand has called Coral Gables home for over five years.

Mayor Vince Lago has also filed for re-election in Group I and will be entering his final term as Mayor. Lago is officially termed out after these next two years and will have served for a total of eight years as Mayor when his tenure comes to an end. Lago is challenged by none other than Rip Holmes and, surprisingly, a last minute candidate that qualified on Friday morning. Laureano Cancio, who many may recall as the disgruntled candidate that challenged Vice-Mayor Anderson in April 2025, has also challenged Mayor Lago’s re-election bid. Cancio’s claim to fame is yelling at and insulting residents, myself included. I consider this an automatic re-election for Lago.

Despite vocal criticism from a few members of our community, there is an obvious majority support for Lago, manifesting in weak contention by other members of the community for the Mayor’s seat. I do hope Lago will debate Holmes and Cancio, it would make for incredible commentary and perhaps the most comedic candidate forum in city history.

I’d like to also take a moment to recognize and commend my friend Jose Riera, who withdrew his candidacy in Group V earlier this week. Riera shares a deep passion for this community and there is no doubt about his commitment to public service and leadership. Riera is a listener, an advocate, and an independent thinker. Respect is his very nature. Seeking public office is no walk in the park and despite withdrawing, I look forward to Riera’s contributions to the City of Coral Gables over the next few years.

For those who prefer facts over fiction, it’s important to clean up after the Gables Gazette. Just yesterday, GazetteGPT posted an obviously AI prepared article about the 2026 candidates, incorrectly reporting Riera had qualified for the race despite withdrawing and that Menendez had already qualified when his qualifying appointment wasn’t until Friday morning. By the way, reporting status is readily available on the City’s webpage regarding the 2026 election and can be accessed under the “Election Financial Information and Qualifying Documents” link at the top of the page, which conveniently includes campaign contributions:

Election season is in full swing. The City of Coral Gables election will take place on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026. If required, there will be a run-off election on December 1st, 2026. Catch you on the campaign trail!