This Coral Gables commissioner won’t seek reelection. Here’s why
Coral Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez on Monday announced that he will not be seeking reelection in November, leaving open a seat that has already drawn at least two interested candidates.
Fernandez said in a video posted on Instagram that he would instead channel his efforts into pushing for a free and democratic Cuba.
“As a son and grandson of Cuban immigrants who have never lived to see freedom return to their homeland, I feel a profound responsibility to help ensure that when Cuba is finally free, its people have the institutions, knowledge and opportunities necessary to remain free and independent,” he said.
“The demands of that mission, including significant travel and professional commitments, would prevent me from devoting the time and attention that the residents of Coral Gables deserve from their commissioner,” he added. “ ... I have decided I will not seek re-election to the Coral Gables City Commission.”
Fernandez’s announcement came a few hours before the official launch of the city’s candidate qualifying period for the November election, but also at a time when the Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are ramping up efforts to free the people of Cuba from the island’s communist regime. There are already two candidates — Jose A. Riera and Gonzalo Sanabria — who have signed up to compete for Fernandez’s Group V seat.
Fernandez, who was first elected to the commission in April 2023, didn’t give any specifics as to what type of projects he’s working on, though he did name-drop CUBATEC, a for-profit company founded by former Gables Commissioner Kirk Menendez that specializes in advising “pro-democracy partners” on how to “prepare and responsibly engage in the future reconstruction of Cuba” and empower the Cuban people, according to its website. Fernandez became the group’s CEO in February, according to his LinkedIn.
Fernandez told the Miami Herald in a phone interview Monday that, as CUBATEC CEO, he’s been working on projects related to education because “for democracy and free economy to be successful in Cuba, we can’t just go in and change things, we have to educate people.”
But the work has ramped up in recent weeks, said Fernandez, who explained that he’s in the process of securing funding and talking with U.S.-based universities for the initiative. He expressed optimism that the regime will fall soon and stressed how important it is to make sure that the people of Cuba, who have been “indoctrinated” by the regime, have access to the necessary tools they need to avoid relying on government and ensure democracy and free market principles on the island.
“My father and grandfather never got to see a free Cuba,” Fernandez told the Herald. “What better way to reward their sacrifice than ensuring in my lifetime Cuba is free and that there’s a plan?”
Fernandez plans to finish his term, which — like the mayor and other commissioners — was shortened to accommodate moving city elections from April in odd-numbered years to November of even years. The change was approved by voters earlier this year to coincide with state and national elections.
Besides Fernandez, Gables voters will also find incumbents Mayor Vince Lago and Commissioner Melissa Castro on the ballot. So far, no one has signed up to run against the mayor. Castro is set to face off against challenger Nestor Menendez.
Whoever wins will help shape the power dynamics on the dais.
Fernandez was often on the winning side of votes when he was first elected in 2023, when both Commissioner Melissa Castro and Kirk Menendez were on the commission. The dynamic shifted in April 2025 after voters brought in newcomer Commissioner Richard Lara, and Kirk Menendez lost against Lago for mayor. Now, it’s not unusual to find Fernandez and Castro at odds with Lago, Anderson and Lara.
Fernandez said the political chaos that sometimes erupts on and off the commission floor did not influence his decision to not seek reelection.