On the airwaves and in the mailboxes of Miami voters, Jose Regalado, a candidate in the June 3 special election to replace the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes in District 4, is striking back against the lies and attacks coming from Ralph Rosado, the other candidate, and his benefactor, Commissioner Joe Carollo — who may spend up to half a million dollars to get Rosado elected.
In his own voice, Regalado has a 60-second spot running on Spanish-language radio that tells voters how desperate Carollo is to have Rosado sit next to him. Most political radio ads are 30 seconds. But Jose Francisco Regalado has a lot to say.
“This election should be about the real problems that affect the quality of life in our city. But it has been converted in a campaign of lies and attacks against me and my family,” Regalado says. “Joe Carollo is spending millions on radio, TV and mail to impose his candidate, Ralph Rosado. If he wins, Carollo will control the commission of Miami.
“Manolo Reyes did not allow that and neither will I,” Regalado goes on. “I am not afraid of Carollo or his lies. Rosado is afraid and has accepted being his puppet.
Read related: Manolo Reyes’ widow comes out strong for Jose Regalado in D4 special election
“Carollo is the king of conflict and chusmeria,” he says, using a a word that google translates to gossip but really loosely means trashy or having no class. “He doesn’t want you to come out and vote,” Regalado adds, because negative ads like this are really a 
form of voter suppression when they are so frequent.
“I was born here and have grown up here. I’ve worked all my life for this community. My commitment is to continue the legacy of Manolo Reyes, and use your money to fix the streets and add more police. Not to pay for attorneys that defend Carollo.”
Ouch. That, no doubt, refers to the millions of dollars that the city has spent in taxpayer funds defending Carollo from multiple lawsuits, including a federal First Amendment suit brought against him by two Little Havana businessmen
Regalado’s campaign also sent a mailer last week with a long introduction on his history in the city, which includes his role in the creation of the Miami Forever Bond Initiative to invest $400 million to address the city’s most pressing needs — sea-level rise and flood prevention, roadways, parks and cultural facilities, public safety and affordable housing — and delivering aid and resources to residents and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the purpose was also to set the record straight and let people know that Carollo is behind the attacks on him.
“I was honored when Commissioner Reyes’ family asked me to consider running to continue his residents-first legacy. But this race has taken a disappointing turn,” Regalado writes. “Instead of focusing on the issues, like flooding, housing and public safety, it has become a proxy battle driven by Commissioner Joe Carollo.”
“He is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking me on television, on the radio, and in your mailbox, because he knows he cannot control me,” Regalado says. “We have seen this before. In his own district, Commissioner Carollo used city departments to target businesses he opposed, leaving Miami with millions in legal costs, a damaged reputation and a culture of fear among employees.
“I have no personal quarrel with my opponent,” he adds, referring to Rosado. “But many residents are asking the same question. 
Why is a commissioner from another district so involved in this race? And why would any candidate allow himself to be used by someone whose actions have cost Miami so much?”
Read related: Miami’s District 4 candidate Ralph Rosado is backed, helped by Joe Carollo
Let Ladra attempt to answer that. First, Carollo is so heavily involved, using his political action committee to send daily mailers and directing Rosado’s TV commercial, because he needs that third pocket vote to get a majority. That way he can move his agenda along, destroy the city agencies he wants to nix to retaliate against his new enemies, Commissioners Miguel Gabela and Damian Pardo, and stop any attempts at reform that they may be working on.
And second, Rosado is a two-time loser — he ran for state rep before losing his first commission race against Reyes in 2017 — who doesn’t think he can win without Carollo’s considerable, but waning, influence. It’s a shame. He may not be such a terrible guy, even though he apparently was a terrible city manager (more on that later). He has some education and experience as an urban planner. But this association with Carollo, who is a thug, is something he’ll never shake off.
On the back side of the mailer to voters, Regalado’s campaign prints images of emails he got from Ralph Rosado and his chiefs of staff seeking his help with policy matters or legislation when Jose Regalado was assistant building director and Rosado was city manager at North Bay Village
“I’m reaching out on Ralph’s behalf to inquire if the city of Miami’s private provider program guidelines have been updated with the changes made in new statutes passed by the state,” wrote Leonardo Cosio in 2023. “Kindly send us whatever you may have so we can reference it as we develop our own policies.”
As recently as last year, Rosado sought Regalado’s assistance with things like the tree ordinance, the demolition bond ordinance and unsafe structures. If Regalado was so unqualified, as Carollo has said on his radio show and in his PAC ads, then why did Rosado seek his advice?
Rosado, who has been caught in a few lies by Ladra — he has not lived all his life in District 4, like he has said — does not return calls and texts from Ladra. Carollo also chose not to return calls and texts.
In Miami D4 race, Jose Regalado strikes back at Ralph Rosado’s lies on air, mail added by Ladra on
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