Seven candidates are competing for mayor and two City Commission seats in Coral Gables' first November municipal election on Nov. 3.

The races will shape the commission's direction on development, spending and ethics at a time when the five-member board has been sharply divided. In April, voters approved a charter amendment that moved elections from their traditional spring date, shortening several incumbents' terms by about four months.

Here is what residents need to know about each race.

Lago seeks final term as mayor against two challengers

Mayor Vince Lago faces attorney Laureano Cancio and Jackson "Rip" Holmes, a Miracle Mile property owner who has run multiple times for city office.

Lago, who has served on the commission for more than a decade, is seeking what would be his fourth consecutive term and his last under the city's term limits. He told the Miami Herald's voter guide that the rising cost of living is the most pressing issue. "I'm running for one final term to finish the work we started and protect the progress we've made," Lago said.

Holmes, who said he has attended roughly two-thirds of all commission meetings since 1998, is running to oppose what he called "runaway development." He holds a law degree from the University of Florida.

Cancio, who ran for a commission seat in April 2025, had not responded to the Herald's questionnaire as of Sept. 24. He served five straight terms as president of the Hispanic Business & Professional Association of Bergen County, New Jersey.

Commission races could shift the balance of power

In Group IV, Commissioner Melissa Castro is seeking a second term against Nestor Menendez, an of-counsel attorney at DiFalco and Fernandez LLLP who resigned from the city's Planning and Zoning Board earlier this year to run.

The race carries extra weight. Castro has frequently voted against Lago on major items, and Lago has endorsed Menendez. A Menendez win could shift the commission's balance of power.

Castro said she ran to restore residents' voice at City Hall and is focused on responsible development, taxpayer protection and meaningful resident involvement before major decisions are made. She chairs the Florida League of Cities' development policy committee.

She faces a separate challenge off the ballot. According to the Miami Herald, the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that she violated state ethics laws related to her family's permit-expediting business, M.E.D. Expeditors. State investigators said 132 permit applications tied to the company were submitted or processed in the city between June 5, 2024, and July 30, 2025. Castro has denied wrongdoing and said she stopped doing that work in Coral Gables in June 2024. The case is headed to an administrative hearing; no date has been set.

Menendez, who also served on the city's Transportation Advisory Board and Charter Review Committee, said he entered the race because advisory boards can only recommend and he wanted to shape policy directly. He had raised more than $41,000 as of March 31.

In Group V, Gonzalo Sanabria and Nikki Whiting are competing to replace outgoing one-term Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who chose not to seek reelection.

Sanabria, a real estate investor and current Planning and Zoning Board member, ran for the commission in 2009 and 2011. He is a former vice chair of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. He cited 32 years of community service at the county level and more than 20 years as an activist in the Gables as his top qualifications.

Whiting, 33, is the youngest candidate in the field. She is director of development for the Adam Smith Center at Florida International University. Her government experience includes senior positions in Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive office and the Florida Department of Health, as well as work for former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Key dates for registration, voting and the candidate forum

Voter registration closes Oct. 5. The deadline to request a mail ballot is Oct. 22. If no candidate wins a majority Nov. 3, a runoff is scheduled for Dec. 1. Gables voters can use any Miami-Dade County precinct during the county's two weeks of early voting but must go to their assigned precinct on Election Day.

The Gables Good Government Committee will host a candidates forum from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave. Registration is required by Sept. 30.