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The upcoming special election in Miami’s District 4 is more than just a race between two candidates — it’s a referendum on the direction our city is headed. Voters need to pay attention and get this one right.
On paper, Jose Regalado and Ralph Rosado may seem ideologically similar. Both are moderate Republicans who possess the policy and administrative credentials to credibly serve. But elections are not just about résumés — they are about vision, judgment, and the company one keeps.
The massive financial and political investment being made by Commissioner Joe Carollo to get Rosado elected should give every voter pause. Carollo’s decades-long career has been defined by betrayal, retaliation, and personal vendettas. From famously turning on former allies like Maurice Ferré and Carlos Giménez to using the weight of government against his critics, Carollo has shown time and again that political loyalty to him comes at a steep price—and rarely lasts.
Now, Carollo is spending heavily through his campaign committee to install Rosado. His near daily rants on his own radio show betray an unhinged rage born of desperation. On a recent episode of his radio show on América Radio 1260 AM, Carollo disparaged fellow commissioners Miguel Gabela and Damian Pardo in Spanish as “two idiots waiting for their third vote”.
Could Carollo’s anger be triggered by a fear that he’s on a losing streak in his relentless attacks on the two commissioners who ran on reform platforms – and have the guts to deliver on that promise? Is there a treasure map buried underneath the bunker at Bayfront Park Management Trust he forgot to take with him when they removed him as chairman?
It’s unclear why a politician months away from terming out of office would take on the battle for District 4 so ferociously, but Carollo always has a reason. It’s rarely about what’s good for the city.
This is a man who has cost taxpayers millions in lawsuits stemming from personal political feuds and dragged the city through years of redistricting battles to try to live in District 2’s Coconut Grove while continuing to represent District 3. His scorched-earth style has stunted progress and soured public trust.
Ralph Rosado’s willingness to ride Carollo’s coattails is telling. Whether out of ambition or naivete, he has allowed himself to become a pawn in a game Miami can no longer afford to play. If Rosado can’t stand independently now, why should we believe he’ll lead independently later?
This election is a bellwether. It will show whether Miami is ready to move forward—toward transparent, community-centered governance—or remain shackled to the most corrosive elements of its past.
The choice is clear. Reject the politics of fear, ego, and retribution. Vote for the future.
