The City of Miami is a mess. Locals voice frustration about chronic flooding in neighborhoods. Affordable housing is out of reach for tens of thousands. Gentrification has overtaken historically working-class areas like weeds in a summer garden. And a recent string of controversies at City Hall has only deepened public distrust in government.
But there may be hope.
For the first time in nearly a decade Mayor Francis Suarez will give up power at Pan American Drive and someone else will take up the reins after an election scheduled for Nov. 4. In recent years, Suarez has been investigated by the FBI, accused of conflict of interest and improperly pushed for a no-bid contract that would benefit a legal client.
For many, the stakes couldn't be higher. With a dysfunctional City Hall, residents are looking for a stable force.
“The legislative body of the City of Miami is an absolute mess that's broken down,” said David Villano, co-founder and co-editor of the Coconut Grove Spotlight, a nonprofit news website. “Someone needs to take the lead, and the mayor can do that. What they need is a school master who can keep this unruly body in line.”
So far, seven candidates have filed to take Suarez’s place. One of them will likely move into City Hall after election day.
Beginning this month, Biscayne Times will run profiles of the candidates running for mayor of Miami. This month we cover Christian E. Cevallos, a former Miami-Dade community council member; and Emilio T. Gonzalez, who has never held elected office, but has held several appointed high-level government positions, including Miami city manager.
Christian E. Cevallos
(Courtesy LinkedIn)
Christian E. Cevallos
Christian E. Cevallos, 44, has served as member of the Miami-Dade community council for District 11, representing areas including West Miami, Kendall, and Sweetwater.
He was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States with his family. He first worked in a pizza restaurant, and has since become a successful businessman.
With a bachelor's degree in business administration in economics from Florida International University, he founded America ProBuilders, a company specializing in custom-built homes and residential projects in Miami.
His interest in politics began almost a decade ago.
“In 2017, I went to a council member's office to share some suggestions for solving some community problems,” said Cevallos in a Forbes interview. “I wasn't well received. I left that office and thought for a few days about how a person can be in that position when they don't listen or act on behalf of the community.”
That experience was a turning point for him. He later decided to run for office himself.
He served eight years on the community council, which decides zoning issues. As mayor, according to a website that went up at the end of May, mayorcevallos.com, he says his vision is “preserving our unique character while embracing opportunities for progress.”
Emilio Gonzalez
(Courtesy Emilio Gonzalez)
Emilio Gonzalez
Retired U.S. Army colonel and former Miami city manager Emilio González is also running for mayor, positioning himself as a candidate who can restore order and accountability to City Hall.
The Cuban-born González was director of Miami International Airport under former Mayor Carlos Gimenez. He also led U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under President George W. Bush. He currently works as a partner at a California-based asset management firm.
González, 68, served as Miami’s city manager from 2018 to 2020. His tenure ended during a political conflict with the city commission, when he was accused of misusing his power to expedite a permit for his home.
He denied the accusation, and an investigation by the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission cleared him of any wrongdoing. The commission didn’t reach the supermajority vote needed to oust González, but he resigned, citing family obligations and the need to care for his ill wife.
Though he did not respond to two emails and has not answered multiple phone calls asking for an interview, his platform stresses transparency, fiscal oversight, and restoring public trust.
He pointed to the $400 million Miami Forever bond, which was created to address local issues such as sea-level rise and affordable housing. The bond was approved by voters in 2017. González questions whether those funds have been properly spent.
“It’s unknown,” he said, calling for public accounting and accountability.
González also wants to reform what he calls the city’s entrenched “political culture.”
Though he’s worked in local, county, and federal government, González insists he’s not part of the political establishment. “It was the actual political establishment that tried to fire me,” he told the Miami Herald.
In that same interview, González didn’t hold back in his critique of current city leadership: “If you don’t like the circus,” he said, “stop voting for the clowns.”