Ralph Rosado Wins Miami City Commission District 4 Special Election

Miami City Commission candidate Ralph "Rafeal" Rosado and his campaign team consisting of Jesse Manzano of Berthier Strategies, defeated opponent Jose Francisco Regalado in the District 4 special election on Tuesday night. Rosado received 55% of the vote to Regalado's 45% with all precincts reporting.

Rosado is a Miami native with prior experience as City Manager of North Bay Village. His resume included securing billions in investment in Miami-Dade and passing a major infrastructure bond to benefit future county residents.

But his victory didn't come without some drama, as is seemingly typical in Miami-Dade politics.

Both candidates made claims of support from law enforcement. However, it was Rosado who earned key support from the City of Miami Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #20, not Regalado.

Regalado took credit for an endorsement by the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), an organization that represents some law enforcement agencies in South Florida. However, the PBA is not directly associated with the City of Miami police officers.

Although Regalado himself came to the race with credible experience, including as a former Assistant Building Director for the City of Miami and Assistant to the City Manager.

He also comes from a political family, as his father, Tomas Regalado, was the Mayor of Miami from 2009 to 2017. His sister, Raquel Rosado, is a current Miami-Dade Commisioner.

But it was Rosado in the end who came out on top. Following the results, U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) congratulated him on his victory.

"Congratulations to Commissioner-elect Ralph Rosado on your victory for the City of Miami Commission, District 4," Salazar said. "I look forward to working with you to address housing, community needs, and enhance the well-being of the residents of the City of Miami."

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez also congratulated Rosado.

"Congratulations Commissioner-elect @Ralphrosado305 on your election to represent District 4. It was an honor to support you in this race and you honored that support with hard work every step of the way," Suarez said. "Your victory speaks volumes. It’s the result of tireless days on the ground and a testament to the trust your neighbors have in your leadership and your vision for the future."

"Welcome to the dais and I look forward to working with you," Suarez added.

The District 4 seat opened after the passing of longtime Commissioner Manolo Reyes. It includes Coral Gate, Shenandoah, and Flagami.