The voting public split the baby in Hialeah Tuesday — if the runoff election was a referendum on Mayor Carlos Hernandez, as they usually seem to be.
One of Little Castro’s endorsed candidates won, beating an activist the mayor 
had arrested early on in the campaign. Jackie Garcia-Roves, who beat Milly Herrera, 54 to 46%, should be ashamed that she came into the Seguro Que Yes council through a false arrest and intimidation.
But Hernandez also lost an ally when former Councilman Luis Gonzalez failed to beat ‘newcomer’ Jesus Tundidor, who got 65% of the vote. Tundi, as he calls himself, came into Round 2 with momentum after 
being the leader in the first round Nov. 5, getting 32% to Gonzalez’s 28.
Ladra is only tentatively hopeful with him (hence the quotes around ‘newcomer’). The onetime aide for Sen. Rene Garcia is, as such, sort of expected to fall into line as his former boss runs next year for the county commission seat vacated by Esteban Bovo, who is running for county. Time will tell.
Read related: Two candidates could block Luis Gonzalez comeback to Hialeah
Still, it’s immediately another defeat for Hernandez, who already lost a seat in 
the first round when teacher Monica Perez beat Lourdes Lozano, 58% to 42%. Little Castro had endorsed both Gonzalez and Lozano and campaigned for them, using his political action committee to pay expenses.
Can two votes change much on the Seguro Que Yes council? Well, if nothing else, it may cease to be a unanimous vote machine for the mayor’s agenda. But what does that matter if Little Castro still has a majority of the board to do his bidding and turn the other cheek to abuses of power that may benefit them?
Read related: Teacher challenges Hialeah’s political regime vs only incumbent
This is why the recall effort against Hernandez, whose abuses of power are long and well documented, is important (more on that later).
Especially when we have a State Attorney who hates to go after bad politicians she shares co
nsultants with. There has to be a reason why Hernandez gets away with using the police department as his own personal political hit squad.
And certainly Herrera’s showing was, at least in part, a criticism of that action. Ladra isn’t sure she would have gotten as many votes as she did without the free news coverage about her campaign that followed. But that was certainly not Hernandez’s intention, which is what matters.
And losing two seats may not seem like much, but in Hialeah, it’s an amazing feat — and could spell the beginning of the end for Little Castro.
In Hialeah, two newcomers beat Little Castro’s establishment added by Ladra on
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