MIAMI — It’s campaign season again in the City of Miami, and the opening shots aren’t just being fired in courtrooms or city halls—they’re being sung through comical satirical jingles.
The mayor and commission elections, once in doubt after the City Commission attempted to cancel this year’s vote, are officially on. Candidate for mayor Emilio Gonzalez successfully challenged the decision in court, winning both at the circuit and appellate levels. With the election secured for November, the campaign is moving into full swing—and in Miami, that means Spanish-language political jingles.
A group on X, formerly Twitter, called News Miami Dade has begun posting new satirical campaign songs online, drawing attention with sharp critiques of the city’s most controversial political figures. The first wave of jingles takes aim at two familiar names: Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who has filed to run for mayor but has yet to qualify, and City Commissioner Joe Carollo, the longtime political fixture.
The song lampoons Commissioner Higgins as a career politician, accusing her of presiding over bloated budgets and financial shortfalls during her time on the county dais. It hammers her for supporting a budget that left Miami-Dade facing a $400 million shortfall, while still trying to pivot into a citywide mayoral run.
It also mocks her shifting positions, especially noting that she only spoke out against the City Commission’s failed attempt to postpone elections after two courts struck it down. The lyrics suggest that Higgins’ abrupt ideological turns—often aligned with progressive or Democratic socialist causes—undermine practical governance. With her candidacy still hanging in the balance, the song underscores a looming deadline: Higgins must submit an irrevocable letter of resignation by August 26 in order to qualify for the ballot, a step she has not yet taken.
Another track takes direct aim at Joe Carollo, portraying him as a “perpetual mayor” clinging to power for decades. The lyrics highlight a long list of controversies, from allegations of corruption and political intimidation to his role in the Elián González saga. It references accusations of racism, antisemitism, and domestic violence, while casting Carollo as a political “dinosaur” unwilling to step aside.
The jingle paints a stark contrast between Carollo’s old-guard style and the call for generational change in Miami politics, rallying younger Republican voices to step forward. With a protest-like energy, the song declares that Miami must move past an era of intimidation and vendettas to embrace a new chapter.
In Miami, campaign jingles are a tradition as entrenched as yard signs and debates. Blending satire with salsa rhythms or catchy choruses, they have long been used to rally voters and define opponents. With election season underway and November fast approaching, these early releases suggest a hard-hitting campaign ahead—one where the soundtrack may prove just as memorable as the speeches.”
