Winners and losers from the runoffs in Miami, Miami Beach and Hialeah

Miami politics is never just about the people on the ballot. In fact, half the drama is happening off the ballot.

Another election cycle has come and gone, leaving behind the usual debris field of broken signs, bruised egos, and consultants still waiting to get paid. And while everyone is busy dissecting the candidates and their margins and their margins of victory in Miami, Hialeah and Miami Beach, Ladra is here for the real autopsy: the winners and losers who never appear on the ballot but are pulling strings, pushing narratives, or just getting run over by the political pachanga.

The consultants, the machines, the dynasties, the wannabes, the trolls, the institutions, and the voters (bless their tired souls).

So grab your cortadito — heavy on the espuma — because while some candidates are still picking pastelito crumbs off their dignity, Ladra is here with this cycle’s MVPs and DOA’s, which has become a Political Cortadito tradition.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Political and media consultants Christian Ulvert and Michael Worley, who often work together, and went three for three Tuesday with wins for Eileen Higgins in the Miami mayoral race, Rolando Escalona‘s runoff in the Miami D3 commission contest, and Monica Matteo-Salinas in the Miami Beach commission runoff. Campaign veteran Emiliano Antuñez took Escalona to the runoff and “he’s a machine,” the commissioner-elect said. Ecalona’s win was particularly sweet since he beat former Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo, who has significant name recognition compared to the self-described “nobody.” And for Ulvert, who made the losers column last year after he lost all five Miami-Dade constitutional seats, it shows he is still bouncing back.
Democrats. Some might be calling in sick today, but they’re just still celebrating. Tuesday night’s election results in both Miami and Miami Beach were rousing successes. Hialeah is a throwaway for them. But they got Higgins elected the first Democrat mayor in Miami in almost 30 years — and by almost 20 points — and Matteo-Salinas elected in Miami Beach by a whopping 42 points. They attracted big-name, national blue star power from the likes of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Congressman Rahm Emanuel, a former White House official under Barack Obama. And they showed that with national attention (and money), they can flip traditionally red seats. All they have to do now is lose that momentum, like they always do.
Former Joe Carollo district aide Steven Miro, who filed a whistleblower suit against his ex boss after he said he was fired in retaliation for reporting that the commissioner used his office and public dollars to campaign for Alex Diaz de la Portilla when the latter was running for county commission. The scandal became known as Paellagate and Miro eventually settled out of court for a tidy sum. Fast forward to this election cycle, where helped Escalona — a lot. It was personal for him. We might want to put other former Carollo staffers on the list. Let’s make that the Anybody-But-Joe coalition. Anyone who ever tangled with the brothers Carollo — from activists to former staff to political rivals who still have PTSD — got a little karmic dopamine hit this week. Whether you call it political maturity or simply exhaustion, it’s a win.
Speaking of which… Bill Fuller, one of the owners of Ball and Chain, which was targeted and eventually shut down by Joe Carollo’s weaponization of city departments — police, code enforcement, city attorney — for having had an event for his political opponent in 2017. The two won a jury trial in 2023 for $63.5 million in damages and have already gotten a $12.5 million settlement from the city for its part. But Tuesday’s results were like the cherry on top. “It’s been eight years of torture and harassment,” Fuller told TV cameras at Tuesday night’s victory party for Escalona, which he hosted.
Hialeah Mayor Elect Bryan Calvo, who wasn’t on the ballot this cycle but was able to flex already, throwing his brand new mayoral weight behind two candidates in the council runoffs who both won. Sure, they weren’t on his original slate, but they did much better in their second go-around. Gelien Perez, who worked for the city’s Human Resources Department, was on former Councilman Jesus Tundidor‘s slate when she got 40.5% of the vote Nov. 4 and got a whopping 80% against Jessica Castillo, who works in medical insurance sales, in the Group 3 runoff. In the Group 5 race, university student William “Willy” Marrero — the only candidate on outgoing Interim Mayor Jacqueline García-Roves’ slate who didn’t lose Nov. 4 — got 25% while the second place finisher got 23% last month to make it into the second round. This time, Marrero, who now replaces Calvo as the youngest council member ever elected in the City of Progress, got 71% against. But if you see a smile on Bryan’s face, you know why.
Ditto for Miami Beach Commissioners Alex Fernandez and Laura Dominguez, who backed Matteo-Salinas and can now form a tidy little alliance over in that city.
Downtown developers who might find a friendly Miami City Hall now that Eileen “Build More Housing” Higgins is mayor. Her campaign was heavily funded by development interests and she doesn’t have the best track record in that department, even voting in favor of rebuilding the county’s waste incinerator, which should have cost her environmental votes but didn’t.
Lobbyist Manuel “Manny” Prieguez, the former state rep with his finger on the pulse at City Hall. First, he backed Commissioner Miguel Gabela in his win two years ago. This time, he was behind Rolando Escalona from Day One, making hundreds of calls to raise funds and blast critics intermittently. His influence at the city has practically doubled from one day to the next.

NOW, THE LOSERS ARE:

The Carollo brothers. Joe Carollo is already bruised from lawsuits and settlements and an embarrassing fourth place finish in the Nov. 4 mayoral race, round one. Now baby brother Frank Carollo’s political era has ended. Normally a candidate doesn’t get on a winners and losers list — that’s like losing twice — but this is about the dynasty. And Frankie can’t run for commissioner again, thanks to the lifetime term limits approved by voters last month. For the first time in decades, this particular apellido is less feared and more… passé. Miami voters finally did what Miami voters always talked about doing: They shut the door on the Carollo dynasty. Hard. Loser status: Extinction-level event.
Miami Beach commission candidate Monique Pardo Pope, the Queen of Self-Inflicted Wounds. Not only did she lose, she lost badly. Monica Matteo Salinas got 71, remember? And, apparently, she’s a sore loser, reportedly already threatening people with lawsuits for posting the truth about her documented social media history of idolizing her Hitler-loving, neo-Nazi, serial killer dad. Again, candidates don’t normally make it to this list but her loss was just epic. And with a Florida Bar investigation hanging over her head, courtesy of Billy Corben’s megaphone, the pain isn’t over just yet.
Republican politicians. Ladra means Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott, Miami-Dade Commissioner Rob Gonzalez and others — even President Donald Trump — who couldn’t pull enough votes for former city manager Emilio Gonzalez in the Miami mayoral race. They lose not just because Miami voters have no patience for Tallahassee and D.C. meddling in our local races, and by know they should know that. But also because this does not bode well for them in 2026. Congress members Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar are also likely taking lots of acetaminophen today — even if their Dear Leader can’t pronounce it.
Local Republican leaders are also grabbing some ibuprofen today. I would not want to be at the drive-up window Wednesday when Kevin Cooper or Liliana Ros or Evan Power roll through.
Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez. gets another ding, just like after the Nov. 4 election when his candidate, Fred Karlton lost to Dominguez, the incumbent. By a lot. Plus, Suarez’s brother-in-law was arrested and charged with operating the commissioner’s unlicensed golf cart, after he was seen (and video recorded) swiping Dominguez yard signs and replacing them with those for Karlton. This time, Suarez backed Pardo Pope, who also lost by an embarrassingly big margin, which means two things: (1) Suarez can’t pick a winner, and (2) He’s about to be iced out on the dais.
Former Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. First he lost his buddy, former commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla when the latter was arrested and charged with 12 felonies, including bribery and money laundering. He was later acquitted but was rejected by voters twice since. And now he lost Joe Carollo, which was an umbilical cord to the city’s budget for legal fees.

As always, it is almost certain that Ladra forgot someone. So please feel free to make additions to either column in the comments below.

And remember, today’s winner could be tomorrow’s loser. And vice versa.

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Winners and losers from the runoffs in Miami, Miami Beach and Hialeah added by Ladra on December 10, 2025
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