Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago wins automatic re-election with no challenge

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Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago wins automatic re-election with no challenge
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Six commission candidates also qualify for two seats in the April 11 race

Without a challenge, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago automatically won re-election Friday. Noon was the qualifying deadline and Lago alone is running for the mayoral seat.

How sad.

“I am humbled to have officially been re-elected as your mayor without opposition. I believe this is a testament to all we have accomplished together,” he posted on social media. “I look forward to continue working with you and the Commission to implement our vision to keep Coral Gables the City Beautiful.”

Blah, blah, boilerplate.

Lago was once a promising policy leader but has disappointed many of his original supporters with a series of bad decisions and evil alliances that wipe out whatever karma he earned with the solar-powered house he loves to brag about. He supported Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, the “Proud Boy” affiliate, and Renier Diaz de la Portilla for judge.

He also got into a shouting match with firefighters at a commission meeting.

Read related: Coral Gables Vince Lago is running slate of candidates in April election

He is trying too hard to be like his BFF Francis Suarez. Billy Corben calls him Diet Ponzi Postalita or Francis Suarez Light. Except they’re not postalitas, are they? They are in positions to funnel tax dollars where they want and make policy decisions that affect residents for decades.

It sucks that there was not one person in Coral Gables to challenge Lago, who is much more vulnerable than he seems, even just to bring these issues up for debate and force him to defend some of his stupid moves, like that racist letter he and other parents at the Carollton School of the Sacred Heart signed in 2020 that opposed increased education about racism and black history in the wake of the George Floyd murder and ensuing protests for justice and police reform. 

Jackson “Rip” Holmes, a gadfly, downtown property owner and perennial candidate, dropped out of the mayor’s race and entered the Group 4 commission race against Tallahassee lobbyist Ivette Arango D’osoki, permit expediter Melissa Castro and mortgage broker Sean Patrick McGrover. In Group 5, Alex Bucelo — who lost two years ago to Kirk Menendez — is running against activist Ariel Fernandez.

Read related: Vince Lago, Alex Bucelo, Ivette Arango O’Doski lead in Gables money race

But just because he’s not running for re-election doesn’t mean Lago won’t campaign. The mayor was running in a slate, aligning himself with Arango-O’Doski and Bucelo, with whom he had a joint fundraiser. But it’s really for his own interests.

See? There can be no strong mayor in Coral Gables. The electorate there would never approve that. So one way to become a defacto strong mayor is by stacking the commission with puppet yes votes.

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20 Responses to "Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago wins automatic re-election with no challenge"

  13. ” We have a DEVELOPER-OCRACY.”

    LOVED it as so true .

    ” REQUIRE VOTER REFERENDUM APPROVAL OF ANY MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.”

    Also loved it as great idea .

    ================================

    ” It is very disappointing that nobody could muster the courage or the money to run against Mayor Lago ”

    I think it is mostly the money needed to run against these incumbents as it cost so much at minimum in simply flyers .

    Keep in mind the developer owned Cosa Nostra incumbents have the financial support of their developer and other special interest masters .

    I’m not telling you nor anyone else here something you are not aware of but to me it is just the money which stops people .

    Reply

  14. Took people long enough to figure him out. “Gables Man” is right, “ He is filling the commission with lackeys that will approve the garbage he doesn’t want to be associated with”. And don’t forget about the boards, he will have them stack the boards as well.

    Reply

  15. I usually automatically dismiss anything Rip posts. But this time he got it exactly right.
    Bucelo is a Lago toady.
    He is filling the commission with lackeys that will approve the garbage he doesn’t want to be associated with.

    Reply

  17. Thank you for your use of the word “gadfly”. I looked up the definition and will now happily add that to my vocabulary!

    Reply

  18. Here’s the silver lining – I won’t have to see his name on the ballot and give one second of thought to this guy.

    Reply

  19. Dear Voters and Friends:

    I switched races — from running for Mayor to running for Commissioner — yesterday for the following reason.

    I am against development.

    I discovered Mr Lago was using my challenge to him to GET OUT THE VOTE AGAINST ARIEL FERNANDEZ, the one anti development Candidate with a strong chance of winning.

    By Lago not being on the Ballot, people are less likely to be tricked into voting against OUR HERO ARIEL FERNANDEZ.

    THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN ANY ELECTION ARE OUR CHILDREN.

    CORAL GABLES IS NO LONGER A SUBURB, AND IS NO LONGER A SAFE PLACE TO RAISE INFANT CHILDREN FOR THEIR FIRST 18 YEARS OF LIFE.

    THE ONE REASON FOR THIS IS RUNAWAY OVER-DEVELOPMENT.

    Citizens United has destroyed Coral Gables. Citizens United allows unlimited developer PAC donations to local candidates, and such developer contributions are 4 times greater than all voter contributions combined.

    The NIGHTMARE is that Coral Gables no longer has a democracy. We have a DEVELOPER-OCRACY.

    OUR BEST HOPE IN FIGHTING THIS IS AMENDING OUR CITY CHARTER TO DO WHAT MIAMI BEACH, AND KEY BISCAYNE, ALREADY DO.

    REQUIRE VOTER REFERENDUM APPROVAL OF ANY MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.

    Please help me accomplish this.

    Please vote for me for City Commissioner, Group IV.

    I INVITE your phone call to my cell, 305-338-5000, at any time.

    Sincerely,

    Jackson Rip Holmes
    305-338-5000

    Reply

  20. It is very disappointing that nobody could muster the courage or the money to run against Mayor Lago. I was not planning on voting for him again, as I made it plainly clear in response to several of the numerous emails I got bombarded with from his campaign. Another two years of uber development in the City Beautiful await. Let’s continue destroying the essence of what’s made Coral Gables the great city it is…

    Reply

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