Coral Gables voters head to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 18, to fill a state House seat that has sat empty for nine months and to weigh in on a competitive congressional race that could reshape the area's representation in Washington.

State House District 113, which covers parts of Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Brickell, Shenandoah and downtown Miami, has lacked a representative since Republican Vicki Lopez resigned in November 2025 to join the Miami-Dade County Commission. Gov. Ron DeSantis never called a special election, leaving the district's 77,022 registered voters without a voice in Tallahassee.

Three Republicans and two Democrats are competing to end that gap.

Republican primary: HD 113

Frank Lago, 46, a Brickell commercial real estate advisor who chairs the Brickell Homeowners Association's government affairs committee, leads the Republican field in fundraising with $197,500 raised plus $28,500 in his political committee. He has endorsements from the Miami Herald editorial board and from Lopez herself.

"Our local government budgets have increased 110 percent in the last ten years and people do not see the return on investment," Lago told WLRN on Aug. 12. "They don't see extra police officers. Extra firefighters. Better parks."

Bruno Barreiro, 60, an executive at a home healthcare company who lives in The Roads, served as a state lawmaker from 1992 to 1998 and as a Miami-Dade County commissioner until 2018. He is making his third bid to return to public office.

Tony Diaz, 31, a Silver Bluff tree nursery owner and former political consultant, has pushed for legislation mandating special elections whenever a seat goes vacant. Diaz told Florida Politics on July 31 that the vacancy "can't happen again" and pledged to file a bill requiring immediate special elections for empty seats.

Democratic primary: HD 113

Gloria Romero Roses, 55, a former assisted living facility owner who lives on Brickell Key, has raised $305,000, including a $170,000 self-loan. She is vice chair of Ruth's List Florida and is endorsed by the Miami Herald editorial board, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava, the South Florida AFL-CIO and United Teachers of Dade.

Justin Mendoza-Routt, 37, an asset appraiser and president of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats, has raised $126,000, most of it from self-loans. He told WLRN the affordable housing system "is not working."

The district has 25,424 registered Republicans, 21,678 Democrats and nearly 40% with no party affiliation. Lopez won in 2024 with 54.7%. A write-in candidate, Paola Vazquez del Mercado, will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

FL-27: Salazar faces primary challenge

In Florida's 27th Congressional District, which stretches from Coral Gables and South Miami through Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Kendall, three-term Republican incumbent María Elvira Salazar faces Vincent Arias, a 65-year-old Coconut Grove lawyer making his first run for office. Salazar holds $2.27 million in cash on hand; Arias raised about $35,000 and loaned his campaign $99,000.

Salazar is endorsed by President Donald Trump, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago and five law enforcement groups, according to Florida Politics. She won re-election in 2024 by nearly 21 points, though three nonpartisan rating outlets have since shifted the district from "safe Republican" to "likely Republican."

On the Democratic side, former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero and former CBS Miami anchor Eliott Rodriguez are competing. Peguero raised just over $1 million through June 30; Rodriguez topped $600,000. The winner will face Salazar or Arias in November.

How to vote

Early voting runs through Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Coral Gables Branch Library, 3443 Segovia St., and 22 other Miami-Dade sites. Hours through Friday, Aug. 14: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Final weekend (Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 16): 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During early voting, registered voters may cast ballots at any site.

On Election Day, Aug. 18, polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must go to their assigned precinct. Bring a government-issued photo ID with signature. Find your precinct at votemiamidade.gov.

Florida is a closed-primary state: only registered Republicans vote in Republican primaries, and only registered Democrats vote in Democratic primaries.