Miami could have special election to replace late Commissioner Manolo Reyes
Following the death last week of Commissioner Manolo Reyes, the Miami City Commission will either appoint someone to fill the District 4 vacancy or call for a special election that would likely take place in early June.
On Thursday, the commission is slated to have a special meeting to determine which route to take. According to the city charter, the commission has a 10-day window after Reyes’ death to decide.
Reyes, who was 80 years old, was about halfway through his four-year term. The commissioner had faced health issues in recent years, including battling cancer, and died last week after being hospitalized.
Reyes had been the District 4 commissioner since 2017. The district includes Flagami and Coral Way.
Appointment
If the City Commission opts to appoint a new commissioner, it would need to do so by April 20. The person must meet the qualifications of office, including residing in District 4. The appointee would be in office until the next municipal election in November.
The commission could select an appointee who will be a “caretaker” commissioner — someone who pledges not to run for the seat.
Such a promise, though, is nonbinding, and the commission would need to take that person at their word. The appointee would still have the option of running in the November election. Whoever wins that race would serve out the remainder of Reyes’ term, which ends in 2027.
There are currently three races on the city’s November ballot: commission seats for districts 3 and 5, and mayor.
Special election
If the commission does not appoint a replacement by the deadline, it would need to call for a special election.
In that scenario, there would be a five-day qualifying period for candidates to formally enter the race. The special election would take place within 45 days of the qualifying period ending, likely placing the special election around early June.
In a typical election, a candidate needs to get more than 50% of the vote to win. But in a special election, the candidate who gets the most votes wins, even if none manage to secure a majority; there is no runoff.
For example, Sabina Covo was elected to the District 2 seat in February 2023 with less than 30% of the vote, beating out 12 other candidates in a special election to fill the vacancy created by former City Commissioner Ken Russell.
The winner of the special election would serve out the remainder of Reyes’ term.
Special elections create an added cost for the city. The February 2023 election, for example, cost about $200,000, according to the city clerk.
Who might be in the running
Two potential contenders who could fill the District 4 vacancy are Ralph Rosado, an urban planner and former North Bay Village manager, and Rafael “Ralph” Cabrera, president-elect of the Latin Builders Association. Rosado lost to Reyes in the 2017 election.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on this seat for eight years since I ran for it previously,” Rosado told the Miami Herald on Monday.
Rosado said he would be open to either an appointment or running in a special election. However, he said he wouldn’t be interested in the “caretaker” role where he bows out of the upcoming municipal election.
“I wouldn’t want to pretend I wasn’t interested” in running in November, Rosado said.
Cabrera did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM.
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