Meet candidates for Coral Gables mayor, commission. Here’s what they have to say

Voter Guide admin September 25, 2026 0 Comments

Meet candidates for Coral Gables mayor, commission. Here’s what they have to say

Coral Gables residents will elect a mayor and two commissioners on Tuesday, Nov. 3. We asked the seven candidates where they stood on key issues facing the city. Here is how they responded:

CORAL GABLES MAYOR

Why are you running for office?

Laureano Cancio: Awaiting response

Jackson Rip Holmes: To stop runaway development. To stop Mayor Vince Lago’s Plan to murder Coral Gables as a suburb. See my website, www.ripholmes.com. I am related to the Man who made the midnight ride with PAUL REVERE.

Vince Lago: I’m running for one final term to finish the work we started and protect the progress we’ve made. We’ve strengthened public safety, expanded parks, invested in infrastructure and protected taxpayers. I want to leave Coral Gables stronger and better prepared for the future.

What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?

Laureano Cancio: Awaiting response

Jackson Rip Holmes: I have attended 2/3’s of all City Commission meetings since 1998. Please see my website, www.ripholmes.com. I am honest. I virtually never lie. I was born and raised in Coral Gables, own property on Miracle Mile, have a law degree from the University of Florida, y HABLO FLUIDO EL ESPANOL. Mi esposa es Peruana.

Vince Lago: Experience matters, and so do results. For over a decade, I’ve delivered for Coral Gables. From FPL undergrounding and securing Lee Lincoln Park to completing Fire Station 4 and The Underline and investing in the restoration of our historic landmarks. These are just a few of the many results I’ve delivered for our city.

What is the most pressing issue facing the community you wish to represent?

Laureano Cancio: Awaiting response

Jackson Rip Holmes: Too much development. MAYOR LAGO HAS STACKED THE COMMISSION, AND PLANS TO KILL CORAL GABLES AS A SUBURB!

Vince Lago: The most pressing issue is the rising cost of living. Coral Gables must remain a place where families can afford to live, work, raise their children and call home. That means protecting taxpayers, keeping our city financially strong and delivering the high-quality services residents expect.

CORAL GABLES GROUP IV

Why are you running for office?

Melissa Castro: The job is not done. I ran to restore residents’ voice at City Hall, and I’ve worked every day to keep that promise. I’m running to continue protecting taxpayers, neighborhoods and our quality of life. Public service, to me, means listening, doing the work and having the courage to put residents first, even when it means standing alone.

Nestor Menendez: I’ve spent years on Coral Gables boards and committees: Planning & Zoning, Transportation Advisory, and Charter Review. All good work, but mostly ends in recommendations to the commission. Ultimately, the commission decides. I’m running because a seat at that table is the most effective way to shape public policy in the city I call home.

What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?

Melissa Castro: I’ve kept the promises I made when elected and built a record residents can judge. I bring four years of deep institutional knowledge, proven independence and results. I now also lead statewide policy on development, giving Coral Gables a stronger voice in Tallahassee on growth, local control and decisions affecting our neighborhoods.

Nestor Menendez: Critically reading the law and arguing what it means is how I make my living. That is the same discipline it takes to draft an ordinance that holds up and to question a budget line that does not. Years of city board service showed me how the city works and what residents are up against. That combination is what I would bring to the dais.

What is the most pressing issue facing the community you wish to represent?

Melissa Castro: Protecting Coral Gables’ quality of life as we grow. We need responsible development that respects our neighborhoods, disciplined spending that protects taxpayers, strong public safety and infrastructure, and meaningful resident involvement before major decisions are made, not after. Growth should serve our community, not redefine it.

Nestor Menendez: Division, and the erosion of trust behind it. In the past, residents came to City Hall to work with commissioners on ways to better our community. Now, the reflex is to pick a side. I do not fault them for it. Trust must be earned at the dais, by members who debate respectfully, explain themselves honestly and treat neighbors as neighbors.

CORAL GABLES GROUP V

Why are you running for office?

Gonzalo Sanabria: Coral Gables sorely needs to reestablish collegiality and known expertise capable of tackling future fiscal challenges and overdevelopment issues on a rational and civil manner, mindful of who we are as a city and how to preserve our traditions and enhance livability.

Nikki Whiting: I am running to bring civil, fiscally responsible leadership to Coral Gables as we enter our second century. Public service has defined my career, and my family’s tradition of military and public service shaped my belief that government must remember whom it serves. I want to help leave our community stronger for the next generation.

What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?

Gonzalo Sanabria: My 32 years of community services at the county level and 20-plus as an activist in the Gables.

Nikki Whiting: I bring government experience and a perspective focused on the future. My work in Washington, Tallahassee and Miami-Dade County taught me how decisions beyond City Hall impact our residents. I will bring that experience to Coral Gables while embracing innovation to improve city services and prepare our community for the future.

What is the most pressing issue facing the community you wish to represent?

Gonzalo Sanabria: Fiscal challenges, public safety, enhancing activities in our parks, more arts and sculptures, walkability, pedestrian safety, sensible growth, residents’ access to services.

Nikki Whiting: Our responsibility is to protect what makes Coral Gables exceptional while addressing the issues that affect daily life: public safety, traffic, infrastructure, city services and responsible spending. We must manage growth carefully, preserve our neighborhoods and make transparent decisions as we look ahead to Coral Gables’ second century.