Tag: calvo

Hialeah mayor-elect Bryan Calvo, promising unity and a balanced government, has endorsed two candidates for the Dec. 9 city council runoff elections. Calvo is backing Gelien Perez and William “Willy” Marrero, who ran with rival political slates during the mayoral contest but now stand together under his incoming administration.

“I’m creating a coalition to approve the agenda,” Calvo told the Miami Herald.

Asked about the possibility that either candidate could oppose his agenda once in office, he added: “My support doesn’t mean they will vote with me 100% of the time. We need to refine the balance and votes where we don’t all agree. Just because I supported them doesn’t mean it’s a conditional one.”

An unexpected ally

Perez, 35, a former human resources director for the city, ran as part of Council President Jesus Tundidor’s slate, a faction that opposed Calvo in the mayoral race. Her professional background positions her as one of the most qualified candidates for Council Seat 3, according to Calvo.

“She brings the most experience and insight into how Hialeah functions,” he said.

Perez was the subject of a Miami-Dade Ethics Commission investigation covering 2018–2020, which found indications she may have used her city position to benefit her private real-estate business. Despite that, she secured enough votes in the Nov. 4 special election to advance to the runoff. Asked about the investigation, Calvo said it is a question for Perez. The Herald has reached out to Perez several times, but she has not responded.

In the primary, Perez led with 40.5% of the vote, narrowly ahead of Jessica Castillo, who received 36%, while Kassandra Montandon, who ran on the slate of interim Mayor Jackie of Garcia-Roves, with 23.5%.

Calvo’s endorsement gives Perez fresh momentum as she heads into the competitive runoff against Castillo. Castillo has centered her platform on transparency, accountability and giving residents a stronger voice at City Hall. Her top priorities include improving traffic flow, upgrading infrastructure, enhancing public safety and lowering property taxes. She has said she does not feel represented by the current city leadership, positioning herself as an independent voice in the race.

A bridge between administrations

Marrero, 22, ran as part of Garcia-Roves’s slate, representing a faction that opposed Calvo in the mayoral contest. Garcia-Roves has briefly served as Hialeah’s first woman mayor. Marrero’s first-round performance, capturing 25% of the vote in a field of five candidates, secured him a spot in the runoff, with his message of youth and energy resonating strongly with voters.

Calvo’s endorsement positions Marrero uniquely — supported by both the outgoing acting mayor and the incoming one, creating a rare political bridge between two administrations. Marrero has emphasized working on issues critical to residents, including the high cost of city services, water and sewer affordability, and addressing tax and infrastructure challenges.

“With experience as a council aide, Marrero understands how city bureaucracy functions and aims to take a strong role in delivering robust constituent services to residents,” Calvo said.

Both represent groups that often lack a voice in local government, particularly people in their mid-20s. Calvo has said he does not believe age should be a barrier to leadership, citing his own experience as Hialeah’s youngest councilman at 23 in 2021 and later being elected the youngest mayor at 27.

READ MORE: Former councilman Bryan Calvo elected mayor of Hialeah, youngest in city’s history

Marrero said that working with Calvo is about putting residents first: “I do have to work with him. It is about the residents. He is extremely reasonable, understands disagreement, and encourages collaboration,” he said.

Marrero will face Javier Morejon, the former chairman of the Hialeah Beautification Board and vice-chair of the Historic Preservation Board.

Morejon, 34, is running for Council Seat 4 after two previous attempts to become an interim council member. In the primary, he captured 23.3% of the vote. A business developer, land-use specialist and city surveyor based in Miami Gardens, Morejon emphasizes a practical and community-focused agenda. His priorities include creating greener public spaces, reducing costs for essential city services, strengthening public safety resources, restoring transparency and accountability at City Hall, and repairing critical infrastructure such as streets and drainage to address flooding and potholes.

A symbol of unity

By endorsing two candidates who initially ran with his opponents, Calvo appears to be making a strategic and symbolic effort to prioritize residents’ interests over political loyalty. The Dec. 9 runoff comes after a turbulent year in Hialeah, marked by a deadlocked council, an interim mayoral transition, and shifting alliances, and it carries immediate consequences for Calvo’s ability to govern. In January, once he is sworn in, the council must fill the seat vacated by Tundidor, and Calvo will need four votes on the seven-member council to make the new appointment. He currently has two reliable supporters — Carl Zogby, the only councilman elected unopposed after his challenger withdrew, and Luis Rodriguez, who was reelected.

If Perez and Marrero prevail, their victories could give Calvo the majority he needs to control the January appointment and establish momentum for his administration. Beyond the numbers, their elections would reinforce his broader message of unity, integrating former opponents into a coalition focused on collaboration and citywide priorities rather than factional politics.