On the airwaves and in the mailboxes of Miami voters, Jose Regalado, a candidate in the June 3 special election to replace the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes in District 4, is striking back against the lies and attacks coming from Ralph Rosado, the other candidate, and his benefactor, Commissioner Joe Carollo — who may spend up to half a million dollars to get Rosado elected.
In his own voice, Regalado has a 60-second spot running on Spanish-language radio that tells voters how desperate Carollo is to have Rosado sit next to him. Most political radio ads are 30 seconds. But Jose Francisco Regalado has a lot to say.
“This election should be about the real problems that affect the quality of life in our city. But it has been converted in a campaign of lies and attacks against me and my family,” Regalado says. “Joe Carollo is spending millions on radio, TV and mail to impose his candidate, Ralph Rosado. If he wins, Carollo will control the commission of Miami.
“Manolo Reyes did not allow that and neither will I,” Regalado goes on. “I am not afraid of Carollo or his lies. Rosado is afraid and has accepted being his puppet.
Read related: Manolo Reyes’ widow comes out strong for Jose Regalado in D4 special election
“Carollo is the king of conflict and chusmeria,” he says, using a a word that google translates to gossip but really loosely means trashy or having no class. “He doesn’t want you to come out and vote,” Regalado adds, because negative ads like this are really a form of voter suppression when they are so frequent.
“I was born here and have grown up here. I’ve worked all my life for this community. My commitment is to continue the legacy of Manolo Reyes, and use your money to fix the streets and add more police. Not to pay for attorneys that defend Carollo.”
Ouch. That, no doubt, refers to the millions of dollars that the city has spent in taxpayer funds defending Carollo from multiple lawsuits, including a federal First Amendment suit brought against him by two Little Havana businessmen
Regalado’s campaign also sent a mailer last week with a long introduction on his history in the city, which includes his role in the creation of the Miami Forever Bond Initiative to invest $400 million to address the city’s most pressing needs — sea-level rise and flood prevention, roadways, parks and cultural facilities, public safety and affordable housing — and delivering aid and resources to residents and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the purpose was also to set the record straight and let people know that Carollo is behind the attacks on him.
“I was honored when Commissioner Reyes’ family asked me to consider running to continue his residents-first legacy. But this race has taken a disappointing turn,” Regalado writes. “Instead of focusing on the issues, like flooding, housing and public safety, it has become a proxy battle driven by Commissioner Joe Carollo.”
“He is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking me on television, on the radio, and in your mailbox, because he knows he cannot control me,” Regalado says. “We have seen this before. In his own district, Commissioner Carollo used city departments to target businesses he opposed, leaving Miami with millions in legal costs, a damaged reputation and a culture of fear among employees.
“I have no personal quarrel with my opponent,” he adds, referring to Rosado. “But many residents are asking the same question. Why is a commissioner from another district so involved in this race? And why would any candidate allow himself to be used by someone whose actions have cost Miami so much?”
Read related: Miami’s District 4 candidate Ralph Rosado is backed, helped by Joe Carollo
Let Ladra attempt to answer that. First, Carollo is so heavily involved, using his political action committee to send daily mailers and directing Rosado’s TV commercial, because he needs that third pocket vote to get a majority. That way he can move his agenda along, destroy the city agencies he wants to nix to retaliate against his new enemies, Commissioners Miguel Gabela and Damian Pardo, and stop any attempts at reform that they may be working on.
And second, Rosado is a two-time loser — he ran for state rep before losing his first commission race against Reyes in 2017 — who doesn’t think he can win without Carollo’s considerable, but waning, influence. It’s a shame. He may not be such a terrible guy, even though he apparently was a terrible city manager (more on that later). He has some education and experience as an urban planner. But this association with Carollo, who is a thug, is something he’ll never shake off.
On the back side of the mailer to voters, Regalado’s campaign prints images of emails he got from Ralph Rosado and his chiefs of staff seeking his help with policy matters or legislation when Jose Regalado was assistant building director and Rosado was city manager at North Bay Village

“I’m reaching out on Ralph’s behalf to inquire if the city of Miami’s private provider program guidelines have been updated with the changes made in new statutes passed by the state,” wrote Leonardo Cosio in 2023. “Kindly send us whatever you may have so we can reference it as we develop our own policies.”
As recently as last year, Rosado sought Regalado’s assistance with things like the tree ordinance, the demolition bond ordinance and unsafe structures. If Regalado was so unqualified, as Carollo has said on his radio show and in his PAC ads, then why did Rosado seek his advice?
Rosado, who has been caught in a few lies by Ladra — he has not lived all his life in District 4, like he has said — does not return calls and texts from Ladra. Carollo also chose not to return calls and texts.
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As expected and predicted in this very space, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has brought back former City Manager Peter Iglesias — who was fired last year by the old commission majority — to the top administrative job in the City Beautiful.
Lago, who was re-elected last month, campaigned on bringing Iglesias back and presented a resolution to name Iglesias manager at Tuesday’s commission meeting. Everyone knew this was coming after his remarks about the longtime public servant and engineer at the swearing-in ceremony where it seemed he was going to cry when he told Iglesias to stand and be recognized.
It was also expected to be a 3-2 vote with the new majority, all of whom won the April elections, voting in favor at Tuesday’s long commission meeting. So far, newly-elected Commissioner Richard Lara — who made a big deal about being independent and not a handpicked Lago lackey pocket vote — has voted lockstep with the mayor and the vice mayor. It’s an echo chamber with the three repeating each other’s remarks in mutual admiration.
Iglesias, who wasn’t there at City Hall but was on Zoom during the meeting, will start Friday and make $295,000 a year. He will work for 20 months, which is right after the next election, which the commission also moved Tuesday to November 2026 (more on that later).
Read related: Coral Gables Vince Lago may move to bring back City Manager Peter Iglesias
Lago — who is having trouble turning the page, as he said he would when sworn in — showed how butt hurt he still is about the firing of Iglesias after he lost the majority and the hiring of former City Manager Amos Rojas on the spot at a commission meeting. Kinda like what happened Tuesday. “The manner in which this was done was shameful,” Lago said, adding that lifeguards get more vetting than the manager got and that the decision “deeply demoralized our staff.”

But he also revealed the real reason he didn’t like it. “As a mayor, I wasn’t even granted the courtesy of getting his resumé,” L’Ego said. So, again, it seems that it was because it wasn’t his idea. He even mocked Commissioner Melissa Castro‘s comments at the time about Rojas’ LinkedIn profile, which was all she had to go on. Like googling him was a bad idea.
“I am in complete disgust with the hypocrisy of this body right now,” Castro said, and one doesn’t know if she is referring to the promises to go to a national search or the complaints about appointing a city manager as a surprise at a live meeting. Or both.
Castro said Iglesias might be a good guy and have achieved some things in the city, but after the election in 2023 — which she and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez against Lago’s wishes and well-funded handpicked candidates — the manager kept her in the dark. “He was favoring certain individuals on this commission and one of them was not me,” Castro said. She also said Iglesias had once told her “employees are lazy and don’t want to work,” when she would suggest ideas to streamline services.
“Employees do not like Peter,” Castro said. “You know who likes Peter? Department directors.”
Read related: Coral Gables skips search, hires new city manager Amos Rojas on the spot
Fernandez was the one who last year spearheaded the firing of Iglesias, who he said did not respond to residents and was insubordinate to him for 10 months after the was elected. But he really started trying to fire him the month after he was elected. He said Iglesias “was actively keeping us in the dark. To what end? Nobody knows.”
Iglesias had his own agenda, Fernandez said. That included the mobility hub that Lago was pushing and developing a city parking lot. “Those were his priorities while City hall feel apart and the gondola building collapsed.” He also blamed him for the delays in reopening what used to be Burger Bob’s.

“We need to have someone who respects our staff, works with all the commissioners,” Fernandez added. “Peter Iglesias is not a unifying voice.”
Lago, Anderson and Lara — who have replaced Castro, Fernandez and former Commissioner Kirk Menendez as the majority — said that Iglesias would bring stability back to City Hall at a time when it would be crucial to have his experience and leadership skills at the helm. The budget process is about to begin and the renovations of City Hall are ongoing.
Read related: Vince Lago scores with Richard Lara’s Coral Gables commission runoff win
Lara further said that it was something he campaigned on, as well, although he advocated for a national search, and that he first decided to run for office after the “unceremonious firing.” He also lashed out at Castro and said Iglesias may have been fired because “one commissioner didn’t feel she was getting enough attention.” He called the firing “improper” and “illicit.
“Simply because something can be done, doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do,” Lara said.
But Anderson wasn’t listening. Later, when she voted for the mayor’s move to rescind a pilot permit expediting program that Castro had worked on for months to give residents and business owners the option to speed up their permitting process for a premium, she said basically the opposite. “The rules do allow the new board to undo an old board’s motion,” the vice mayor said.
To quote Lara: Simply because something can be done, doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.
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An internal poll shows that Richard Lamondin, one of the Democrats hoping to challenge Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar in District 27, is “within striking distance,” which is closer than one might expect for a newbie with no name recognition. The numbers indicate Lamondin is trailing the incumbent by just three points, which is within the margin of error.
This is good news for his campaign because (1) voters still don’t know who this guy is, (2) the election is almost 18 months away, which is plenty of time to introduce him to them, and (3) a closer look shows the results could be more an indication of how disliked Salazar is, as her unfavorable ratings seem to grow.
Read related: Maria Elvira Salazar may already have a 2026 opponent in Richard Lamondin
And only a little more than 10% were undecided. Again, 18 months out!

Lamondin is a first-time candidate and environmental entrepreneur whose company boasts saving more than 10 billion gallons of water and preventing over 300,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. He is one of two Democrats running for the chance to challenge Salazar next year. Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey — who lost in last year’s primary against former School Board Member Lucia Baez-Geller — announced he would try again earlier this month. Salazar beat Baez-Geller by more than 20 points, but she was riding Trump’s coattails, which won’t be picking up hitchhikers in 2026.
Read related: Democrat Mike Davey aims to try again for congressional seat in District 27
Furthermore, the poll shows that voters, like those nationwide, are increasingly disapproving of President Donald Trump. A majority of the respondents believe that Congress is doing “poor to very poor” in addressing affordability and quality of life and nearly 50% strongly disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. Only a third gave him high marks for that.

Salazar has come under fire recently for her silence and complicity as Trump rolls out his mass detentions and deportations of illegal immigrants, many of whom live in our community, or her district. She was blasted for taking credit when a federal judge stopped the removal of temporary protective status of 350,000 Venezuelan nationals, something her president’s administration appealed. ¡Que cínica! (The Supreme Court on Monday let the Trump Administration go ahead and remove TPS.)
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put Salazar in the list of vulnerable Republicans and have targeted her in Florida, along with Congress members Cory Mills (CD07 in New Smyrna Beach) and Anna Paulina Luna (CD13 in St. Petersburg).
District 27 covers parts of Miami, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest, North Bay Village, South Miami, West Miami and several unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade.
Read related: Maria Elvira Salazar takes credit for judge extending TPS for Venezuelans
It may seem a bit early for polls about next November’s congressional races, but political consultant Christian Ulvert might be underwhelmed with nothing much to do these days. So he commissioned this poll in mid April. His buddy Michael Worley, at MDW Communications, sampled 555 voters from across District 27 over four days, April 9th to the 12th. The demographic breakdown was 63% Hispanic, 30% White, 2% Black/Caribbean, and 5% other. And 33% of the respondents identified as Democrats, 41% as Republicans and 26% as no party affiliation or NPAs.
“This data affirms what we are hearing on the ground: voters are fed up with the status quo and ready for a change,” Ulvert said in a statement. “Richard Lamondin’s message of economic fairness, green job creation, and common-sense leadership is resonating. With national momentum building and local frustration deepening, FL-27 is firmly in play.”
Ulvert and his team are also encouraged by other flips across the country, including in Florida, where Dems in Escambia County recently beat Republican candidates by over 20 points. The special elections last month in Florida’s 1st and 6th congressional districts were won by Republicans but by vastly smaller margins than Trump won in November.
And because Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava — Ulvert’s highest profile client right now — could run for governor in 2026, the poll also shows her favorability as super high, with almost 57% approving her job as mayor and less than 20% having strong disapproval. That’s less than half of the 45% that have strong disapproval of both Trump and Elon Musk.
Only 45% for Musk? That’s the surest sign this poll could be flawed.
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It’s been a little more than three months since Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo was accused of using the Bayfront Park Management Trust as a personal slush fund for himself and his political pals. But we’re about to find out that there’s been even more misuse of the public monies during some of the eight years that Carollo was chairman of the city agency.
Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela, who was made chairman of the Trust after Carollo was stripped of the title, has called for an emergency Trust meeting Tuesday to discuss “newly discovered items identified during the initial review of the organization and to advise the board that additional issues are pending,” according to a press statement sent over the weekend. City officials and trust members — including the new executive director, Raul Miro — will be there, starting at 1 p.m., to “address the findings and outline potential next steps regarding the park’s administration and future.”
Miro was named director last month, because the last director, Jose Suarez, was pressured to leave after confronting Carollo about questionable Trust transactions.
Read related: Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and the Bayfront Fountain of corruption
Suarez, once Carollo’s chief of staff, and finance director Jose Canto say they were forced to resign after they questioned the “lack of proper accounting practices and procedures that enabled Carollo to use the Trust’s funds to pay for Carollo’s own political ventures, his District 3 political office, his political allies, his District 3 social media provider, a 2007 van to use as a veterinarian mobile that was never used and was likely overpriced, and the commissioner’s holiday party.
“Carollo has attempted to use the Trust to pay or provide premium benefits to Carollo’s personal friends, including paying $20,000 for a yacht party for Carollo, his friends and family, and District 3 Office,” their legal complaint, filed in January, says. Another $45,000 was diverted to the Little Havana Fridays events that Carollo’s started to compete with an already popular event organized by critics — which has nothing to do with Bayfront or Maurice Ferre Park, which is also overseen by the Trust.
“Together, these wrongful expenditures totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars of misused and wasted Trust funds in less than one year, and Carollo has chaired the Trust for the past eight years without any legitimate oversight.”
So, it is safe to assume that some of the other seven years have been looked at, and already there were problems found.
Gabela did not return several calls to his cellphone. He is still mad at Ladra for calling him out on the pensions he wanted to propose last year. But in a statement, Gabela said, “This is a critical moment to ensure transparency and accountability in how we manage one of our city’s most cherished public spaces.”
Ladra does not know why it is an “emergency” meeting. Couldn’t Gabela just bring these issues up at the commission meeting on Thursday, when everyone is going to be there? At least it is going to be at City Hall, not the bunker where the Trust usually meets, so that may encourage more participation. The press release says “all residents, community leaders, and members of the media are encouraged to attend.”
This comes on the heels of a couple of contentious choques entre Gabela y Carollo. They have really gone after each other in the last two meetings, with Gabela calling Carollo a Nicolas Maduro wannabe and Carollo addressing Gabela as Tony. Tony Soprano. Carollo tried to derail the establishment of the Allapattah Community Redevelopment Agency, which he had previously supported, and everyone knows it’s because Gabela is the new Bayfront Trust chair.
Ladra has heard whispers about what they may be ready to reveal Tuesday: More details about discrepancies with the cash receipts from parking — called the “money room,” which held tens of thousands of dollars at a time — and the safety issues that led to the fountain, which just completed a $5.5 million renovation, being closed down again after Carollo rushed to get it open and operating for his big New Year’s Eve bash, which ended up being a long, free commercial for the commissioner, who wants to run for mayor this year.
Read related: Bayfront Park board member resigns on Joe Carollo’s $1 mil no-bid giveaway
But there has to be more. Because Carollo was in charge over there for eight years. A lot of graft can happen in eight years.
Carollo’s control of the Trust has been shady for years. There was a petition to remove him as chair of the Trust in early 2024, before any of the recent allegations were even made. That would include drugs that reportedly disappeared from the vet mobile, which was purchased for $115,000, which seems hugely over inflated and could be one of the kickbacks that the complaint says are rampant in the agency.
Then there is the $1 million spent on the Dogs and Cats Walkway that never went through a competitive process because the sculptures were reportedly provided by a friend of the commissioner’s wife, Marjory Carollo. That led to the resignation of a board member in 2021.
Then there is the outdoor gym that was put in place last year without the proper permitting or process. Was that also a non-bid award? To one of his friends? For a kickback? That might explain why he fought so hard to keep it there.
So, there are likely some big revelations coming on Tuesday. But Ladra also hopes they say that there’s more digging to be done.
The post Commissioner Miguel Gabela set to expose more Bayfront Park Trust issues appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Is Miami Commission District 4 candidate Ralph Rosado a habitual liar or a compulsive liar? Or is he a pathological liar?
A habitual liar falls into the habit of lying because it’s easier or more convenient than telling the truth. A compulsive liar gets a “high” — similar to other drug addictions — when they can get away with a lie and fool somebody. So they often can’t help themselves. Pathological lying is more likely to be intentional, manipulative and self-serving and can lead to serious impairment of functioning in social, occupation and other areas, according to a 2020 study.
In his bid to replace the late Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes, who died in April, urban planning consultant Ralph Rosado — running against Jose Regalado of those Regalados in a special election June 3 — sent out an email this week to voters, swearing to be an independent candidate. It’s another lie. Because he’s Commissioner Joe Carollo‘s guy.
“From the start of this campaign, I’ve made it clear that I am running as an independent voice — not aligned with any political group or current elected official. However, my opponent’s campaign, in desperation due to their inability to find issues with my character, accomplishments or platform, has chosen to mislead voters and lie about ‘endorsements,’” Rosado wrote in the email.
“So, let me be clear: I have not sought, nor have I accepted, endorsements from anyone on the City Commission because I believe this moment calls for a new kind of leadership at City Hall.”
Read related: Ralph Rosado keeps lying, misleading voters in Miami Commission D4 race
He put that last sentence in bold. But he knows its bullshit. Because Carollo has not only endorsed him — naturally, it’s not official… one wouldn’t put this on a door hanger — but the commissioner accused of abusing his power, and who has cost the city millions in legal fees, is also pouring tens of thousands from his political action committee to pay for mailers and TV ads for Rosado.
Carollo is so involved, in fact, that he was seen directing the video that Rosado recorded at a city park to use in an ad. And Rosado got caught lying to Ladra about that, as well. He said Carollo wasn’t there. “He wasn’t directing.” When he clearly was. Even Marjory Carollo was there, with a clipboard in her arms, cradled like a baby.
And Rosado is lying to voters again, about a “candidate forum” that he attended this week where there was an empty seat theatrically set up for Jose Regalado.

“Thank you to all the neighbors who came out to this week’s District 4 candidate forum. I was proud to be the only candidate who showed up — sharing my vision answering your questions and listening to what matters most to you,” Rosado posted on Instagram. “Showing up for this community isn’t just something I talk about — it’s something I practice. And I’ll continue showing up, every day, for District 4 as your Commissioner.”
Except Tuesday’s event wasn’t a forum for District 4 candidates with the Shenandoah Neighborhood Association, as first reported erroneously in the Floridian Press (it has since been fixed). It was an ambush in Silver Bluff, which is mostly District 3, Joe Carollo’s district — just a tiny sliver is in D4 — by the president of the Loco Joe Pollo Carollo Fan Club, Beba Sardiñas Mann, who got illegal street closures in her neighborhood in 2021, if temporarily, thanks to the commissioner’s abuse of the system. A judge had them forcibly removed in 2023. Most of the questions at Tuesday’s forum were asked by Beba’s hubby.
Read related: Miami’s District 4 candidate Ralph Rosado is backed, helped by Joe Carollo
Jose Regalado, who was invited after the event was posted, never confirmed.
“My only communication regarding this event was a brief text message from the intended moderator — no direct conversation, no confirmation of my availability, and no discussion of debate format or topics,” Regalado wrote in an email to the Silver Bluff Homeowners Association.
“While I deeply respect neighborhood and homeowners associations and strongly support their role in promoting community engagement, I have significant concerns about fairness and impartiality in this instance,” he added. “The individual organizing and moderating this debate maintains a close, pubic relationship with a commissioner who is actively managing my opponent’s campaign, personally funding attacks against me exceeding $250,000 from his own campaign account, and using his daily radio show to spread misinformation about my candidacy.”
“Genuine debates require transparency, neutrality, and procedural fairness, conditions clearly not met here. That said, I remain fully available and eager to openly discuss any topics or concerns directly with residents, neighborhood and homeowners associations or any community group,” Regalado said. “District 4 voters deserve transparency and fairness, and I’ll continue advocating for exactly that.”
In other words, Regalado — who had gone to a meet and greet (Rosado also went) the day before with the Shenandoah Neighborhood Association — knew it was a political stunt to begin with. That is why Rosado reportedly took a film crew/photographer for campaign material.
Because Rosado, who did not return calls and texts from Ladra, is a fraud on top of being a liar and a puppet.
What does Carollo want in return for his investment? Rosado’s vote, of course.
The new commissioner, Regalado or Rosado, will be elected on June 3 and in place for the June 12 meeting where Commissioner Damian Pardo wants to present a measure to put lifetime term limits on the November ballot. Carollo, who wants to run for mayor and could be blocked by this, is against it. Guess which way Rosado will vote if he’s elected. He has to pay Carollo back somehow.
Read related: Miami commissioners could extend terms, gain a year for themselves, mayor
Who knows what else is on corrupt Carollo’s revenge wishlist? Destroying the community redevelopment agencies? Outdoor gym equipment in every park? We can say goodbye to the Bayfront Park Management Trust. Since he was removed as chair, because of accusations he used the budget as his own personal slush fund, he has said the Trust needs to go.
The Little Havana businessmen who own Ball & Chain and have been a target of Carollo’s political ire could be in trouble. So is Coconut Grove — all of it — just because Carollo has been wanting to spite them since the redistricting fight in 2023.
So is anyone he considers an enemy, including city employees who won’t do his bidding.
That’s why Carollo is so desperately helping Rosado. The election June 3 is going to change the dynamic on the commission and either give Crazy Joe a majority or, in most cases, freeze him out.
“Voters are looking for honesty, transparency, and a commitment to serve the public — not political alliances or agendas, or more of the same,” Rosado writes in his email, very cynically, because he is not honest or transparent, has a political alliance and is more of the same.
A fraud.
A liar.
A puppet.
The post Ralph Rosado is a fraud, liar, puppet trying to become Miami commissioner appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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