Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is not as popular as he thinks he is. There’s no doubt that these recent commission races were a referendum on his leadership.
Even though he won re-election with no opposition, Lago worked hard to get his cronies elected. He called people and asked them to put signs in their yard. He texted people to remind them to vote for his candidates. Friends say he was obsessed with the commission races.
And the people rejected him.
First, voters elected activist and Lago nemesis Ariel Fernandez over the mayor’s endorsed, well-funded attorney-in-a-suit. Then, they chose the relatively unknown, Johnny-come-lately Melissa Castro, over the mayor’s endorsed, well-connected, better-funded lobbyist candidate.
It’s not like his endorsements were moot. They weren’t. They were toxic. They actually backfired.
Not just because people in Coral Gables do not want a stacked commission or power grab to create a strong mayor form of government. But also because Lago has changed, people say. The one-time resident darling has become rude and arrogant, defensive and dismissive and downright paranoid.
Read related: New Coral Gables Commissioners Ariel Fernandez, Melissa Castro are sworn in
It’s enough to make one miss former mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli, because with him, at least, you knew what to expect. Lago’s browbeating from the dais, cutting off speakers and general disrespect shown to residents who don’t agree with his grand vision has tarnished not just his image, but the City Beautiful’s.
“This is not the city of Miami,” was a common refrain among Gables voters in the past few weeks. They did not like the misleading and false text messages and mailers funded by dark money political action committees for the mayor’s chosen candidates.
Could it be that Lago wants to emulate his primo and BFF, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez? After all, Baby X is growing a national profile that any city mayor would envy.
The power and popularity has “gone to his head,” said several Gables insiders, including Lago allies who can’t agree on when Lago went sour. Some said it may track with efforts to annex Little Gables, where the mayor may have a conflict of interest.
Fernandez, who campaigned for Lago against Pat Keon two years ago, the break up is about the mobility hub, which the mayor has championed and the new commissioner calls a fancy $63 million parking garage with green space on the roof (more on that later).
For Maria Cruz, an active resident who was one of Lago’s biggest fans, the break-up has been hard. These two used to part saying “I love you” to each other. Lago, who now calls her Ms. Cruz, asked her to resign from and cuts her off at commission meetings.
Other friends became concerned last year, when he endorsed Renier Diaz de la Portilla for judge.
Two years ago, Lago beat won with 57% of the vote in a heated, nasty race. He won even though he was criticized for having been one of the parents who signed a sorta racist letter to his kids’ private school complaining about diversity education. Voters forgave him that transgression because he was so accessible, having open house Fridays in his office, and because he was seen a rare environmentalist in the local GOP.
He says all the right buzzwords and drives an electric car. His entire house is powered by solar!
Read related: Coral Gables Vince Lago is running slate of candidates in April election
In other words, Lago was practically adored. Now, he’s almost reviled.
Could it be because of the people he is surrounding himself with? Lago has aligned himself with Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin “Proud Boy Pal” Cabrera, who also endorsed the two losing city commission candidates. He has become close with campaign consultant Jesse Manzano, who has already tried once to leverage his campaign consultant position into some kind of inside transportation deal.
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