Doral to elect a new mayor and three council members. What to know before voting
When Doral voters head to the polls in November, they’ll elect a new mayor and three city council members.
Among those vying to become Doral’s future mayor are two incumbent council members, a well-known Miami-Dade School Board member and a pastor-turned-political newcomer. Nine candidates, with varying levels of experience in government, are competing for the three city council seats up for grabs.
For voters who want to get a jump on the election, early voting starts on Oct. 24 and mail-in ballots should already be arriving. Election Day is Nov. 8.
Doral’s day-to-day business is run by a professional city manager, but the city council and mayor vote on legislation and represent residents.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of casting your ballot.
The crowded race for mayor
Pete Cabrera, a founding member of the City of Doral, moved to the community in 1988. Elected in 2003, he is the longest-serving member of the city council and was vice mayor for seven years. The vice mayor position rotates among city council members.
Cabrera decided to run when former Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez said he was considering a run for Miami-Dade County Commission. Cabrera said he couldn’t allow himself to walk away and leave the city without the leadership of two founders.
“I realized we would leave the city really without any experience,” Cabrera said. “That’s why I decided to run and to make sure that we keep the city on track.”
Cabrera said he’s not waiting until November to start making changes. He said he’s reflecting on ways to increase technology, such as cameras, radars and apps, to eliminate congestion during high-traffic hours. He also said he wants to expand access to city technology, such as license plate readers, to businesses so that police can easily track criminals.
The Northwest Miami-Dade city, Cabrera said, also needs more recreational space and services for senior citizens and people with special needs. He pointed to the new cultural center, which will be completed in October, and an 80-acre park, set to debut in 2025.
“Basically everything you see in Doral in the last 20 years, one way or another, I’ve been a part of it,” he said. “So it’s not a matter of what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna keep doing more of what I’ve already done.”
In 2016, Cabrera refused to turn over his cellphone for a court-ordered search that was part of a 2014 legal dispute between the city and SDE Media, a billboard company that sued and claimed that the city violated the Sunshine Law. A state judge ruled in 2017 that the city acted unlawfully in its handling of records and directed the city to change its procedures so that electronic communications can be found as soon as they’re requested. Cabrera says he viewed the dispute as a scare tactic and refused to turn over his phone because it was a violation of his rights.
That’s not the only time Cabrera was embroiled in a civil case. In 2015, a fired city clerk filed a lawsuit against him, which was ultimately dismissed. She claimed that she was fired due to a 2009 gender discrimination suit they settled for $34,000. Cabrera says her firing was a good decision and that the city has operated adequately without her for eight years.
Christi Fraga, who has lived in Doral for more than 20 years, became the youngest person in city history to serve as a council member in 2012. She was also vice mayor for three years of her eight-year stint on the council.
Since then, Fraga has been serving as a Miami-Dade School Board member.
When Mayor Bermudez announced his bid for county commission, Fraga said residents began calling her. She spoke to her family, prayed and ventured into a new campaign.
“It seemed to be the right direction for me,” Fraga said. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but ultimately, I decided that I was best going to serve being the mayor of this community.”
For Fraga, traffic continues to be an issue in the city. But she said it can be solved by new technology like intelligent intersections and efficient trolley routes, like the one that goes to Florida International University.
Doral, she said, needs an information and resource center for residents and business owners to ask questions and get answers. It can be used by families as a guide to registering kids for school or by business owners confused about zoning criteria.
She said she is frustrated by decisions the council has made since she left, such as voting for lifetime pensions. If elected, she said she would take the decision to a ballot referendum because she believes it will affect the city’s financial well-being.
Fraga believes her experience on the School Board — and managing its $7 billion budget — has prepared her to become mayor.
“I made a choice to pursue coming back home and serving my community in the capacity I felt I could best provide my experience,” she said.
A newcomer to education, Fraga has become one of the more vocal members on the board, proposing and backing conservative — and often controversial — items during her tenure, including a resolution to celebrate the National Day of Prayer. In 2021, Fraga was the only board member to vote against recognizing October as LGBTQ history month recognition. This year, a majority of the board rejected the recognition, citing the new Parental Rights in Education or “Don’t say gay” law, which prohibits instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade and potentially restricting such instruction for older kids.
Earlier this year, she was one of three board members who voted against the appointment of now-Superintendent Jose Dotres. She voted for Jacob Oliva, the senior chancellor in the Florida Department of Education.
With two years left in her School Board term, Fraga announced in January her candidacy for Doral mayor. Instead of resigning from her board seat then, she opted to remain through the November election.
However, if her bid for mayor fails, she can’t return to her school board seat, leaving Gov. Ron DeSantis to choose her successor. Fraga said she sent recommendations to the governor and hopes they’ll be considered.
In 2015, Fraga voted against giving Donald Trump honorary keys to the city and funding a million-dollar Miss Universe event. The former president owns Trump National Doral golf resort.
Claudia Mariaca, a Doral resident of 20 years, has served on the city council since 2016. She was vice mayor for two years and will serve again in November.
Mariaca started getting involved in local politics in 2013, when she started attending city council meetings and speaking her mind. She said she ran for a council seat after Bermudez encouraged her to do so.
Bermudez, she said, reached out to her about running for mayor. He endorsed her at a Sept. 21 event.
“It’s the next step in what I’ve been doing here in my city, which is the one thing that I care about, my community,” she said.
The city needs to fulfill its promises to residents and complete projects promptly, Mariaca said. It also needs to increase the size of the police department while hiring qualified officers to keep residents safe.
She said she would work with county commissioners to remove the Covanta plant, a trash incinerator, from Doral city limits.
If elected, Mariaca said she would be dedicated to the city because her husband’s income allows her to not need an outside job. She also said her economics and finance degree provides her with the knowledge to manage the city’s large budget. The Doral mayor makes $68,365 annually and council members $16,399, according to data from 2017.
“I have a really good grasp in what our community needs are,” she said. “My family is an example of what our city stands for, which is live, learn, work and play.”
During her 2016 campaign, Mariaca said that the city sent inspectors into her husband’s business on an anonymous complaint that it lacked a required occupational license to intimidate her. A year earlier, Mariaca, an outspoken critic of then-Mayor Luigi Boria, and two other residents sued Boria and the city, accusing them of violating their First Amendment rights to free speech.
They claimed that city council and Boria have denied people their right to speak at public hearings. The case was ultimately settled.
When asked, Mariaca said all she and the other residents wanted was the city council to respect their right to free speech. The city council, she said, was cutting speakers off and silencing criticism. After the settlement, the city went back to following the requirements on its charter.
Haim Otero, who has lived in Doral for 18 years, is a pastor at Ministerio El Renuevo, 4887 NW 108th Ct. He has never held public office but said he would draw on his experience as a pastor and businessman.
Otero, who worked as a general manager for several companies and served in the military in his native Colombia, views the city as a company. It has a budget and different departments, and he believes he can help lead the city as he has done with businesses.
Doral needs new leaders and new ideas, he said. The people in the city government have been the same for nearly two decades. And they have been making the same promises that entire time, he said.
“I‘m here [running] because I want change,” he said. “I don’t want to listen to people speaking about the same situation with the traffic, with transportation.”
Otero is frustrated that he has seen the same issue pop up over the years: traffic and transportation.
As a pastor, he said he counsels many families in the area and has seen how people in Doral are struggling. He has had families share how challenging it is to get to Jackson Memorial Hospital or downtown whenever needed. They need transit routes that will get them to major areas like downtown and the airport, Otero said.
The city should also improve efficiency in its departments, he said. Business owners might have to wait months for permits, which could lead them to close their businesses or leave Doral.
“We have a lot of companies here,” Otero said. “Doral is in a privileged position. A lot of people come to invest more money in our city, to [make] the city better.”
Mayoral candidates at a glance
Pete Cabrera
- Age: 64
- Occupation: Businessman with experience in insurance, benefits, human resources and organization development
- Experience: Doral council member; former vice mayor
- Money Raised: $251,694 as of Oct. 12
Christi Fraga
- Age: 35
- Occupation: Businesswoman with experience in property management and bookkeeping
- Experience: District 5 Miami-Dade School Board member; former Doral council member and vice mayor
- Money Raised: $139,818 as of Oct. 12
Claudia Mariaca
- Age: 48
- Occupation: Dedicated to city council seat
- Experience: Doral council member; former vice mayor; businesswoman with experience in marketing and human resources
- Money Raised: $132,623.34 as of Oct. 12
Haim Otero
- Age: 57
- Occupation: Pastor
- Experience: Businessman with experience in management
- Money Raised: $2,022 as of Oct. 12
Three contested council seats
Seat 1
Susie Castillo
Castillo lists her priorities as finding solutions for traffic congestion, relocating the county’s Covanta plant and ensuring transparency and fiscal responsibility. For more information, visit Castillo’s campaign website.
- Age: 62
- Occupation: Director of corporate relations at FIU
- Experience: Former Miami-Dade School Board member
- Money Raised: $34,270 as of Oct. 12
Francisco “Frank” Gamez
Gamez lists his priorities as streamlining permit processing, providing police with equipment and training to keep Doral safe, and increasing environmental sustainability. For more information, visit Gamez’s campaign website.
- Age: 28
- Occupation: Account executive at BRITTO
- Experience: Owner and Founder of Be Prepared Emergency Training; former office manager
- Money Raised: $10,013 as of Oct. 12
Carlos Pereira
Pereira lists his priorities as relieving traffic, keeping Doral streets safe and developing businesses. For more information, visit Pereira’s Facebook or Instagram.
- Age: 50
- Occupation: President at CAPA Unlimited
- Experience: Former Democratic nominee for the Florida House District 105
- Money Raised: $9,680 as of Oct. 12
Rafael Pineyro
Pineyro lists his priorities as keeping neighborhoods safe and supporting police, fighting against tax increases and supporting parks and recreation. For more information, visit Pineyro’s campaign website.
- Age: 38
- Occupation: Management consultant at Pineyro Enterprise Inc.
- Experience: Former park manager at Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation; Legislative Analyst and Chief of Staff at City of Doral, Office of the Mayor
- Money Raised: $51,615.54 as of Oct. 12
Seat 2
Ivette González Petkovich
González Petkovich’s lists her priorities as mitigating the effects of the Covanta plant, improving traffic conditions and developing sustainability. For more information, visit González Petkovich’s campaign website.
- Age: 43
- Occupation: Owner and President at Petkovich Law Firm P.A.
- Experience: Former assistant state attorney at Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office; former candidate for Florida House District 103
- Money Raised: $38,095 as of Oct. 12
Maureen Porras
Porras lists her priorities as alleviating traffic congestion, increasing officer recruitment and retention, and finding a solution to the Covanta plant issue. For more information, visit Porra’s campaign website.
- Age: 33
- Occupation: Director of Immigration Legal Services, Church World Service
- Experience: Former Associate Attorney at Sibirsky Law Firm, P.A.
- Money Raised: $37,300 as of Oct. 12
Juan Manuel Sucre
Sucre lists his priorities as creating a more green Doral, increasing the police force and encouraging business and commerce in the city. For more information, visit Sucre’s campaign website.
- Age: 54
- Occupation: CEO and Owner of Mondo Logistics
- Experience: Former Councilor of the Metropolitan Council of Caracas, Venezuela
- Money Raised: $7,550 as of Oct. 12
Seat 4
Digna Cabral
Cabral lists her priorities as finding creative solutions to address traffic and transit issues, expanding parks and trails and promoting business in the city. For more information, visit Cabral’s campaign website.
- Age: 45
- Occupation: Chief Executive Officer of CAMACOL Doral; Clinical Research Project Manager at University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
- Experience: Doral vice mayor and council member
- Money Raised: $29,649.80 as of Oct. 12
Juan Carlos Esquivel
Esquivel lists his priorities as optimizing the city budget, avoiding high taxes and establishing a task force to deal with homeowner association and condo association fraud claims. For more information, visit Esquivel’s campaign website.
- Age: 56
- Occupation: President at Port Logistics Solutions Corp
- Experience: Former Branch Manger at Fracht USA; Former Logistics Director at Kase Logistics North America
- Money Raised: $25,498.75 as of Oct. 12
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 2:14 PM.
