Nikki Whiting, a candidate for the open Group V seat on the Coral Gables City Commission, published an op-ed Oct. 16 calling for "normal, even boring" local government.

"I would like to make local politics normal, and maybe even a little boring, again," Whiting wrote in the piece, published on the Aesop's Gables Substack. She argued that elected officials should focus on results over social media attention, writing that "public office is a responsibility, not a performance."

The op-ed lands less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 election, in which Whiting faces real estate investor Gonzalo Sanabria for the seat being vacated by Commissioner Ariel Fernandez. Fernandez announced in June that he would not seek reelection, citing a new business venture that would require significant travel, according to the Coral Gables Gazette.

The commission has been divided.

Fernandez and Commissioner Melissa Castro have frequently formed the minority bloc against a majority of Mayor Vince Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara. The Gazette reported that a recent commission meeting boiled over when Fernandez accused Lago of Sunshine Law violations, prompting Lago to respond, "Ariel, you have lost your mind."

Whiting, 33, struck a similar note about civility in a September voter guide published by the Miami Herald. She said she was "running to bring civil, fiscally responsible leadership to Coral Gables as we enter our second century."

Her background is in government communications. She spent more than a decade in the field, according to her op-ed. The Herald reported in June that she held positions in the executive office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Health and with former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She also worked for Jeannette Nuñez, the former lieutenant governor and current Florida International University president, and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban "Steve" Bovo.

Whiting currently raises money for FIU programs, including FIU in D.C. and the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, according to the Herald. She serves on the city's Property Advisory Board and previously sat on the Communications Committee, according to Coral Gables Magazine.

In a questionnaire published by the Coral Gables Gazette, Whiting said she would have opposed cost-of-living and pension changes "that put our reserves at risk." She also said she would prioritize maintaining city assets like Granada Golf Course.

Whiting is endorsed by Lago and Anderson, the Herald editorial board wrote in its Oct. 9 endorsement. The board, however, endorsed Sanabria, citing his "independent streak" and "deeper Gables roots." Sanabria, president of Real Estate Works Inc., has lived in Coral Gables for 26 years and sits on the city's Planning and Zoning Board.

This is the first Coral Gables municipal election held in November. Voters moved city elections from April to align with the general election in a citywide referendum, a shift driven by low turnout in spring races. Election Day is Nov. 3.