Herald endorsement: Miami Beach City Commission Group II | Opinion
READ MORE
Editorial Board November 2025 election recommendations
Ahead of the upcoming local elections, the Editorial Board sits down with political candidates to gain insight into their positions on key issues and the potential impact of their policies on the community. Our aim is to help voters make informed decisions about who is best suited for each race. See our November 2025 endorsements below:
Expand All
In the Miami Beach City Commission Group II race, incumbent Laura Domínguez faces challenger Fred Karlton, a businessman who grew up on Miami Beach.
Unfortunately, this race has taken an unusually personal tone — fueled in part by the open opposition of one of Domínguez’s colleagues on the commission, David Suarez, who has openly joined her opponent’s efforts to unseat her, as the Herald reported.
Domínguez, first elected in 2022 to succeed her late partner, Commissioner Mark Samuelian, has proven herself to be an accessible and pragmatic commissioner. She now has her own agenda, centered on improving public safety, flood resilience, traffic flow and quality of life — issues that matter deeply to Miami Beach residents.
“I have a very close relationship with our neighborhood associations all the way down from First Street to 87th Street. The community knows me. They trust me,” she told the Miami Herald Editorial Board.
Among her ideas for her next term: reviving an employee shuttle system to ease hotel-worker traffic, improving water quality on Parkview Island through innovative tools such as nanobubbles, which help treat wastewater, and advancing long-term resiliency measures to protect the city from flooding.
Domínguez says she helped reshape the city’s spring break strategy by voting for additional state and police support, led a successful effort to reduce business tax receipt fees and tightened accountability in code enforcement by ending persistent cancellations by offenders at magistrate court. She agrees the city must do better on how it handles its chronic homeless problem.
Domínguez also proposes creating an affordable housing trust fund and expressed disappointment with the failure to ensure true affordability at The Anamar at Collins Park artists’ housing project, where units now rent near market value, hardly affordable for working-class artists. The project was built on public land with the help of nearly $10 million in city funding, Axios reported.
But this race is not just about issues. Fellow commissioner Suarez has joined Domínguez’s opponent in unleashing attacks — and funding — against her, as the Herald reported. On one mailer, from a political committee called Stronger United featuring a photo of Suarez next to Karlton, Suarez says Domínguez prioritizes developer interests over residents.
Domínguez told the Board: “He’s now trying to get me with a smear campaign but I won’t be bullied.”
Suarez has focused on Domínguez’s support for several development projects, including the Standard Spa redevelopment on Belle Isle and zoning variances at 1250 West Avenue and the former Deauville Hotel site, the Herald reported. Domínguez says she initially opposed some projects but supported them after developers agreed to scale adjustments and community input.
Adding fuel is a video clip being circulated on social media from a December meeting of the 41st Street Business Improvement District that appears to show Domínguez offering advice on how to navigate the ballot approval process for new development. Domínguez says the comments were taken out of context and calls the attack “gutter politics.”
Domínguez has earned the endorsements of former Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, the Miami Beach Firefighters, Fraternal Order of Police, AFSCME and other unions.
Karlton, who in 2009 ran for the commission but withdrew before the election, presents himself as a fiscal watchdog who would bring business discipline to City Hall. He says his 33 years of experience have equipped him to manage contracts, improve efficiency and hold government accountable. He pledges to fight overdevelopment, stop zoning giveaways and prioritize attainable housing for working families. He recently battled City Hall over zoning issues and won.
Karlton’s campaign has also faced questions about his several brushes with the law, one of which he said was related to a divorce, another involving a licensed concealed gun in his luggage at the airport. Those incidents, combined with the personal tone his campaign has taken, raise concerns about his judgment and temperament. We believe Domínguez has demonstrated an ability to translate community concerns into policy. The Miami Herald Editorial Board endorses LAURA DOMINGUEZ for Miami Beach Commission Group II.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho decides the political endorsements?
In advance of local and state elections, Miami Herald Editorial Board members interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The Editorial Board is composed of experienced opinion journalists and is independent of the Herald’s newsroom. Members of the Miami Herald Editorial Board are: Amy Driscoll, editorial page editor; and editorial writers Isadora Rangel and Mary Anna Mancuso. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
What does the endorsement process look like?
The Miami Herald Editorial Board interviews political candidates to better understand their views on public policy and how their policies will affect their constituents. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates before making an endorsement. The Editorial Board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. Candidates who decline to be interviewed will not receive an endorsement.
Is the Editorial Board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the Editorial Board consider which candidates are better prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with our editorial stances or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, readiness for office, depth of knowledge of key issues and understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 12:13 PM.
