The Hialeah City Council will remain the same after the mayor and two council members cruised past challengers in Tuesday's election.

With almost all precincts reporting, Mayor Julio Robaina had captured 93 percent of the vote -- far more than enough to secure his position as the leader of Miami-Dade County's second-largest city for another four years.

Robaina, who bested Dr. Santiago Cardenas, said now that relatively calm election season had ended, he looked forward to getting back to the people's business.

``It's been a very, very healthy democratic process,'' Robaina said. ``I'm very proud of the city and everybody who took part in the process.

``This allows us the opportunity to continue to work for the residents and for the progress of the city of Hialeah.''

Cardenas, who chided the council for its rubber-stamp tendencies, promised to continue monitoring the mayor's decisions from the sidelines.

Council member Katharine Cue, who Robaina nominated for an empty seat last November, handily beat challenger Daniel Bolaños, a former Hialeah police officer.

And council member Luis Gonzalez, a print shop owner, defeated community activist Fernando Alvarez.

To Gonzalez, the overwhelming support from voters symbolized that the community was pleased with the council's performance during the past four years.

He noted some of the city's accomplishments: the scheduled Nov. 28 reopening of the historic Hialeah Park racetrack, renovations at Milander Park and the streamlining of government to avoid a tax hike, service cuts and to combat tough budget years to come.

``We've done a good job, and the community knows it,'' he said.

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