Ladra’s traditional winners and losers from the 2025 Coral Gables election

Loyal readers of Political Cortadito have come to expect our “winners and losers” post in the wake of every local election, highlighting those people and entities who scored or got hammered, other than the candidates.
After the April 8 re-election in Coral Gables of Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, there were already some obvious winners and losers. But it was only safe to wait until after the runoff, where Lago got his handpicked candidate, Richard Lara, over the finish line, to be sure. And thorough.
Read related: Vince Lago scores with Richard Lara’s Coral Gables commission runoff win
So, without any further blah, blah, blah, the winners and losers from this year’s biannual Coral Gables election are:
WINNERS

Jesse Manzano and Brian Goldmeier, Lago’s campaign manager and professional fundraiser. These two have another notch on their belt and a fatter bank account to show for it. Manzano overcame some heavy negatives with consistent messaging about how bad Commissioner Kirk Menendez would be because of the decisions he’s made in the past (raises, city managers, November vote, etc.). It was brilliant. Evil, but brilliant. Goldmeier is just richer.
The sick anonymous trolls who like to attack on Lago’s behalf with vulgar language and inappropriate images on social media. They have been having a field day.
Developers, real estate investors and construction industry people who donated to the Lago and Lara campaigns like it was buying precious eggs, and now stand to benefit from a consolidated 3-2 vote that seems development friendly.
Chelsea Granell, the mayor’s chief of staff of none, who gets to keep her job and her $91,165 annual salary plus benefits.
Former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Lago supporter, who is likely to tell people that he was the one who got the mayor and his slate elected. Some may have heard he had breakfast recently with Manzano, so they’ll believe it.

LOSERS

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