As incumbent Michelle Spence-Jones coasted to victory, the brother of one former Miami mayor appeared poised to join the City Commission -- while the son of another former mayor was headed to a runoff Tuesday evening.

One thing is for sure: Miami's City Commission will boast two new faces following this fall's election season -- but the identity of one of those newcomers won't be known for another two weeks.

In District 4, two candidates remain and are headed to a Nov. 17 runoff. One is Francis Suarez, the son of former Mayor Xavier Suarez. His opponent: former city budget analyst and frequent commission candidate Manolo Reyes.

In District 3, Frank Carollo -- the brother of former Mayor Joe Carollo -- appeared poised to narrowly avoid a runoff by securing just over 50 percent of the vote. Running second in the seven-person field was candidate Mavel Lopez.

Carollo entered the race boasting significant name recognition, and he also raised more than $70,000 more than second-place finisher Lopez, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.

Suarez, the top vote-getter in District 4, was a fundraising juggernaut -- amassing more than $300,000. But runoff opponent Reyes nearly kept pace with Suarez among voters, trailing by single-digit percentage points.

Suarez said polling done in January showed him running 20 points behind Reyes, and Suarez said Tuesday's results show his campaign now has the momentum.

``We're just riding high,'' Suarez said. ``We've basically blown past him.''

Reyes said he was ``very happy'' with the results, considering Suarez outraised him by nearly 3-1.

``The voters of Miami have shown that the seat was not for sale,'' Reyes said. ``Now we are ready to fight.''

APATHY

Suarez and Reyes will face a challenge generating excitement among the city's voters.

This year's election, despite a contested mayoral race, was characterized by voter apathy -- particularly among black and white, Non-Hispanic voters.

While the election buzz was greater in the Hispanic community -- both mayoral candidates were Hispanic, and the city's two heavily-contested commission races were both in overwhelmingly Hispanic districts -- voters were still hard to come by early Tuesday afternoon at a polling place in the city's mostly Latin West Flagler neighborhood.

Three commission candidates and a small army of poll workers crowded the polling place, far outnumbering the smattering of voters trickling in and out.

Voters were often surrounded by multiple candidates at once, receiving campaign palm cards, handshakes and, occasionally, hugs.

The candidates were like ``sharks,'' joked District 4 candidate Suarez. Voters were the bait.

Over the next two weeks, Suarez and Reyes will be busy sharks -- fundraising and fine-tuning their message in hopes of wooing enough voter support to carry them all to way to Miami City Hall.

NO SURPRISE

The results in Miami's other commission race, District 5, turned out as expected: Incumbent Spence-Jones easily defeated the lesser-funded campaigns of two challengers, Jeff Torain and David Chiverton.

In office since 2005, the commissioner has pushed through landscaping along Northwest Third Avenue, a culinary institute with Miami Dade College and a farmers market. She said she would spend her second term continuing those ``real, tangible results.''

``Basically, the people have spoken,'' Spence-Jones said.

``I'm just looking forward to four more years of serving the folks that elected me.''

Incumbency and a large campaign account weren't Spence-Jones' only advantages. ``Michelle is a woman; I prefer a woman,'' voter Daniela Jean-Baptiste said with a smile. ``Because I'm a woman too.''

Along with two new city commissioners, Miami City Hall will also have a new mayor, Tomás Regalado, himself a former commissioner, after his victory over Joe Sanchez.

The two new commissioners will fill the seats left open when Regalado and Sanchez sought Miami's top political post.

COALITION

Now Regalado will face the task of building a coalition of support on a new-look commission -- or otherwise face a political tug-of-war that has frustrated some Miami mayors in the past.

Voters Tuesday not only went back to the future in electing a mayor they have known for decades, they also showed support to a pair of names as equally well known at City Hall as its new mayor -- Carollo and a Suarez.

Miami Herald staff writer Charles Rabin contributed to this report.

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