It’s that time again, when Ladra separates the winners from the whiners, the power players from the posers, and the ones still pretending they didn’t lose from the ones already measuring the drapes at City Hall. No, not the candidates, silly. We’re talking about the hangers on. The consultants, activists and/or special interests that also won or lost on Tuesday.
Between Miami, Miami Beach, and Hialeah, we got a buffet of storylines this week: comebacks, meltdowns, family feuds, and at least one political obituary. So grab your cafecito (make it a double), because it’s time for the traditional Political Cortadito post-election hangover winners and losers list.
THE WINNERS ARE:
- Political underdogs and fresh faces. From Bryan Calvo’s upset in Hialeah — the youngest to win the mayor’s seat, and in
the first round — to Monica Matteo-Salinas topping the field in Miami Beach’s open commission race and a restaurant manager named Rolando Escalona getting into a coveted runoff in Miami’s District 3, voters made it clear they’re tired of the same names, same faces, same donor lists. New blood is in, old guard is out — and it’s about damn time. - Political consultant Christian Ulvert. He has bounced back after a blistering year where he lost every single Miami-Dade constitutional office race to a Republican, winning handily the two incumbent seats in Miami Beach for commissioners Laura Dominguez and Alex Fernandez — who got a whopping 84% — and propelling Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins into the lead position heading into the Miami mayoral runoff. He also helped Escalona. And he dabbled a little on two of the Miami referendums — the redistricting committee and lifetime term limits — that won with almost 80% of the vote,
- Veteran campaign operative Emiliano Antunez. He worked on both Calvo’s campaign and also for Team Escalona, so now he can rub that in the face of others who couldn’t work with him.
- Miami-Dade Democrats. They get a much-needed boost with Eileen Higgins big lead, especially after they sent mailers on her behalf. But there’s nothing they can do about Hialeah.
- Law-and-Order messaging. This seemed to work, at least in two races. Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner barely held on
to his seat with his “crime is down” mantra and some creative math about spring break “cleanup.” And former Miami City Manager Emilio González, who got into the Miami mayoral runoff with Higgins, is a retired Army colonel with a lot of police endorsements. It worked. Voters still love a guy who says he’s keeping the streets safe — even if the streets sometimes disagree. - Miami voters. They were smart enough to pass the right charter amendments, like lifetime term limits, without falling for the one that wanted to sell public land without a public vote. And it’s not really a terrible choice between Higgins and Gonzalez. Both have their baggage and concerns, but either one is capable. And voters have escaped the clutches of former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who didn’t reach 6% of the vote, and Commissioner Joe Carollo, who came in fourth and has announced his retirement from politics. We should all get on our knees and praise the lord.
- The universe. Because really — Carollo retiring? After 46 years of drama, lawsuits, arrests, meltdowns, vendettas, and lawsuits about the vendettas? Ladra almost doesn’t know what to do with all this peace and quiet. Almost.
THE LOSERS ARE:
- Dynasties. Three of them took a big hit with Carollo, Diaz de la Portilla and former Miami-Dade Commissioner and onetime Miami mayor Xavier Suarez, father of the current termed-out mayor, placing fourth, fifth and sixth in the Miami mayoral election. Because the universe is great. Anybody tied to that crew may soon themselves iced out, ghosted, and side-eyed. Miami’s corruption fatigue is real, gente.
- Former Hialeah Mayor Esteban “Stevie” Bovo and Miami-Dade Commissioner Rene Garcia. They are also about to
find out what it’s like to get iced out. They went hard for Interim Mayor Jacqueline “Jackie” Garcia-Roves, who actually came out in third place. Even Council President Jesus Tundidor beat her, but neither got enough to secure a runoff. - Hialeah Housing Authority Executive Director Julio Ponce. He heavily supported Garcia-Roves, even hugged her after she announced, and has long held a tight grip on the keys to the city’s senior housing (read: absentee ballots). Ponce showed up to Calvo’s victory party Tuesday and got a polite hello. But Ladra would bet he’s out of a job.
- Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez. He wasn’t on the ballot, but he was helping his pal Fred Karlton, who lost to
incumbent Laura Dominguez (by a lot), so much so that he may have broken the law. Suarez’s brother-in-law was arrested in the wee hours Tuesday morning, and charged with operating an unlicensed golf cart, after he was seen (and video recorded) swiping Dominguez yard signs and replacing them with those for Karlton. So, Suarez’s guy didn’t win, but his brother-in-law now has a record. Lo-ser. - Miami City Manager Art Noriega. He was not able to pass a charter amendment that would let the city sell “excess property” without going to a public vote. Not waterfront property, but everything else. It was rejected by almost 76% of the voters.
- Silver Bluff resident Beba Sardiña Mann, who is the president of the Joe Carollo fan club and is now going to have to find someone new to suck up to.
- The voters: Turnout was abysmal again — Miami Beach got the highest with 35% — which means that elections here are decided by whoever remembers to vote between their cafecito and croquetas. If more people showed up, we might actually get democracy. What a concept.
For the first time, Ladra is also going to award a couple of draws. They are candidates who didn’t win, but it feels like they didn’t really lose either.
Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez gets one because she waged a good campaign for mayor and got within 
357 votes of beating an incumbent mayor. That means 170 votes flipped would have turned it around.
And former Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell 2.0 — who was within 700 votes, or 350 flips to get in the runoff — gets one, too, because of his last mile rally, his sweat-and-tears effort and his super engaging social media posts (he has almost 500,000 followers on TikTok), which made him popular beyond the city’s boundaries. He should run again for something else now that he knows how to do it better. Oye, 2026 looks good. You’ve got momentum. Keep the hat.
Ladra’s takeaway: This cycle was the first act in what’s shaping up to be a major reset in South Florida politics. The old names are fading, the machines are creaking, and voters — the few who bother — are ready to swipe right on something new.
But don’t get too comfortable yet. There’s still a December runoff. And if there’s one thing Miami politicos love more than corruption, it’s a sequel.
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‘Winners & Losers’ from the Miami, Miami Beach and Hialeah elections added by Ladra on
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