Fourth try is the charm as Pacheco wins Hialeah City Council seat in an upset

It took four attempts, but Angélica Pacheco finally won a seat on the Hialeah City Council.

Pacheco, 37, won the Group IV seat Tuesday night by upsetting incumbent Vivian Casáls-Muñoz, 56, with 52% of the vote. Mónica Pérez, the current council president, easily retained her Group I seat with about 63% of the vote in her race against Elías Montes de Oca.

Pacheco, a nurse, had run in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Last year she lost to Casáls-Muñoz, who beat her by more than 7,000 votes.

This time Pacheco won by fewer than 400 votes.

“I feel a lot of gratitude. So many people came to vote. It is not just a victory for me but for those who trusted me,” said Pacheco. “I couldn’t have won without the support of Elías Montes de Oca.”

Pacheco said her victory may have been aided by the resolution of censure against Councilman Bryan Calvo one day before the election.

“What happened yesterday [Monday] was very sad for Hialeah,” Pacheco said. “Bryan Calvo is doing an excellent job, he is brave, and he is fulfilling the promises he made to the city.”

Calvo appeared at Pacheco’s victory celebration and said “the people have spoken again. They are ready for new faces, for new blood in Hialeah,” he said. “We have seen what has happened in the city in the last six months. We follow the will of the people.”

Casáls-Muñoz was surprised by the outcome and made accusations against Pacheco.

“She lied to the residents with propaganda, ensuring the support of representatives and commissioners who didn’t support her,” Casáls-Muñoz told el Nuevo Herald.

She said she planned to continue to work to support Hialeah.

“All my life I have been helping residents, in nonprofit organizations, in social activities, the racetrack, and I will continue doing so now being out of the council,” said Casáls-Muñoz.

Montes de Oca, who supported Pacheco, said he does not see his defeat as the end of his political work. He is committed to working as an assistant to Pacheco.

Pérez told el Nuevo Herald that she felt very happy to have received the voters’ trust to be a council member for four more years.

“In these four years I have in mind to expand the freebee transportation project. I have many ideas to celebrate the 100 years of the city and offer more options to improve the lives of the residents,” she said.

This election was one of the city’s lowest in terms of participation with only 8% turnout. Only 2,195 people voted live, 188 by mail, the rest (6,081) in early voting.