Voters in three Miami-Dade cities will elect new mayors next week, and all eyes are on Hialeah, the county’s second-largest and most Hispanic city, where early voting began Monday.
At the John F. Kennedy Library, the city’s only early voting site, four of the five candidates were on hand to greet supporters as residents trickled in to cast their ballots.
For longtime resident Isis Gradaille, who has called Hialeah home for nearly six decades, voting early was about demanding change.
“New blood, someone who can do the right thing,” she said. “It’s horrible, the water, the taxes — honesty is what I’m looking for.”
Her daughter, Desiree Martin, shared her frustration, saying local politics often stay within tight circles.
“It ends up becoming a ‘click,'” she said. “Then the next generation that comes are the kids and people they’ve brought up under them.”
Interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves, the first woman ever to lead Hialeah in its 100-year history, is campaigning to make her role permanent. Backed by former Mayor Esteban Bovo, Garcia-Roves is running on promises to lower taxes without compromising public safety.
“Municipal elections are as important as presidential elections,” she said. “We make the decisions that affect residents every day.”
But Garcia-Roves has been under scrutiny following a Miami Herald report detailing alleged code violations at her home, including unpermitted fences, columns, and a boat cover. She maintains she has not received any violations.
“As of right now, I have not received one single violation,” she told CBS News Miami. “The Department of Code Enforcement and Building needs to be reformed.”
Garcia-Roves said the home belonged to her late father and that accusations are politically motivated.
“If you see who created it, it was an employee of one of my opponents,” she added.
That opponent, Bryan Calvo, 27, is an attorney and the youngest candidate in the race. He has centered his campaign on government transparency and eliminating lifetime pensions for elected officials.
“How can we tell people to follow the building code when the mayor doesn’t?” Calvo asked. “As far as I know, she’s been the property owner for the last six years.”
Another contender, Councilman Jesus Tundidor, has served since 2019 and holds a degree in political science. He’s often clashed with Garcia-Roves on policy and priorities.
“Everyone is going to have issues with their home,” Tundidor said. “But you can’t have open violations at your house while your administration goes after residents for theirs.”
Mark Anthony Salvat, a real estate agent branding himself as an anti-establishment outsider, said Hialeah voters are fed up with recycled promises.
“We’re no longer interested in traditional politicians who promise the stars and the moon — and then do nothing,” Salvat said.
Early voting runs through Nov. 2, with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
To win outright, a candidate must secure 50% plus one of the votes. If no one reaches that threshold, the top two contenders will advance to a runoff on Dec. 9.
As voters like Gradaille and her daughter continue to file in, one message rings clear: Hialeah’s residents want more than campaign slogans. They want results.
