Hialeah voters head to polls as City Commission runoffs test new Mayor’s political clout

Early voting is underway in Hialeah as two Council runoff contests will decide who rounds out a markedly different dais at City Hall.

The Group 3 and Group 4 races — featuring Jessica Castillo versus Gelien Perez and William “Willy” Marrero versus Javier Morejon, respectively — also stand to determine whether new Mayor Bryan Calvo gains early influence over the Council.

Perez and Castillo advanced to the Group 3 runoff in last month’s General Election with 40.5% and 36% of the vote, respectively, leaving one third-place candidate behind.

In Group 4, Marrero narrowly led the field with 24.8%, followed by Morejon at 23.3%. They outpaced three others in the contest.

To win outright, a candidate had to capture more than half the vote in their respective races.

The runoffs present one of the first real tests of how much sway Calvo, who made history last month as the youngest person ever elected Hialeah Mayor, will have as he prepares to take office.

He has endorsed Perez and Marrero — a strategic pairing that blends rival factions from the mayoral contest into his new governing coalition. Both ran with political slates opposing him. He told the Miami Herald last month that he’s aiming to create “a coalition to approve the agenda,” without an expectation that Perez and Matteo “will vote with (him) 100% of the time.”

If both candidates win, Calvo could enter January with a working majority on the seven-member Council and greater control over the upcoming appointment to fill Jesus Tundidor’s soon-to-be-vacant seat. Tundidor ran unsuccessfully for Mayor.

In Group 3, Perez, 35, a former city Human Resources Director and one-time mayoral aide, has campaigned on supporting first responders and small businesses, improving infrastructure and parks, expanding senior services and rejecting millage rate increases.

But her tenure as HR director drew scrutiny: a two-year Miami-Dade ethics investigation found employees under her influence received sizable raises while she acted as their real estate agent. She has not publicly responded to inquiries about the probe.

Castillo, 37, has run as an independent voice focused on transparency, accountability, traffic relief, infrastructure upgrades and lower taxes. She has kept her campaign largely offline, with no website and minimal social media activity.

In Group 4, Marrero, 23, a Florida International University public administration student and former Council aide, has emphasized affordability, issues facing working families and seniors, and support for first responders.

Earlier this year, three Council members attempted to appoint him to the same seat he now seeks, but opposition from others blocked the move.

Morejon, 34, a land-use specialist with an extensive volunteer résumé, is running on infrastructure repairs, government transparency, beautification and reducing the cost of city services.

Election Day is Monday, Dec. 9. Because Hialeah elects Council members at-large, all voters can cast ballots in both races.