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Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waded into a 2025 Miami mayoral race packed with no fewer than 13 candidates.
“I’m pleased to endorse Col. Emilio González for Mayor of Miami,” DeSantis said in a September 23 statement provided to the media by — wait for it — Emilio González. “With 26 years of military service and experience at both federal and local levels, Emilio has shown his commitment to our nation and Miami. When local officials tried to cancel the election and extend their own terms, a clear violation of term limits, Emilio stepped up and stopped them in court five times. Emilio is committed to providing property-tax relief, strengthening public safety, and reducing government red tape.”
In the release, González characterized the endorsement as an honor and a responsibility. “Miami needs a mayor who will stand up to entrenched interests, protect taxpayers, and deliver results,” he said.
Neither González’s nor DeSantis’ team responded to requests for further comment about the governor’s endorsement. (A shame, because one of the questions New Times wanted to ask was why DeSantis chose to endorse a candidate at all. That, and a follow-up: Is this endorsement a tad awkward, given that one of the other mayoral candidates, Kenneth DeSantis, claims to be a distant relative of the governor?)
González has made plenty of headlines this year, most recently for his successful legal challenge against Miami commissioners’ attempts to delay the upcoming election until 2026. But many of the other dozen candidates vying to succeed the term-limited incumbent, Francis Suarez, on Tuesday, November 4, might be less familiar to voters.
So New Times has compiled a list of the entire baker’s dozen, from those with scant online presence to others — like former mayors Xavier Suarez (yes, he’s Francis’ dad!) and Joe Carollo, not to mention sitting Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins — who boast substantial résumés by which to be judged. Below, an alphabetical rundown:
Who Is Running for Miami Mayor?
Laura Anderson has been a freight conductor for CSX Transportation in Hialeah since August 2019, according to city records. At the time this story was published, she apparently had no social-media accounts for her campaign, nor a website.
Elijah John Bowdre is the executive director of the Miami-Dade Digital Commission, a nonprofit coalition of county technology organizations dedicated to education. He refers to himself as the “Crypto Commissioner” on his campaign website, citing his past work on state crypto legislation.
Joe Carollo served as a Miami commissioner from 1979 to 1987 and again beginning in 2017, when he succeeded Frank Carollo (his brother), who was term-limited. Carollo himself will be term-limited out of a commission seat this year. Over the years, he has been involved in several controversies, including a federal lawsuit that resulted in a $63 million judgment against him in 2023. Other highlights include making racist remarks about a fellow commissioner, accusing his opponents of being communists, and hitting his wife so hard he left a golf ball-size welt on her head. He’s one of the few candidates who apparently doesn’t have a campaign website.
Christian E. Cevallos is an entrepreneur and graduate of Florida International University (FIU), according to his campaign website. A former Miami-Dade Community Council member, he has reportedly championed numerous causes over the past few years, including distributing cloth masks during COVID-19, recognizing International Women’s Day, and supporting children with special needs.
Alyssa Crocker is a legislative advocate who has petitioned for medical accountability after the death of her father at North Shore Medical Center, according to her campaign website. Crocker, a mother of two boys with special needs, advocates for transparency in city government, safe communities, more support for domestic violence victims, and prioritizing veterans’ services.
Kenneth James “KJ” DeSantis is an attorney who focuses on general liability cases. After confiding to Political Cortadito that he calls Ron DeSantis “Uncle Ron,” he allowed that he’s a little iffy about mounting an actual run for this November’s election. “I think I might be a little too late for this campaign. I’m kind of on the fence still. It might be better to run in the next election cycle,” he said. In a statement on his campaign site, DeSantis writes, “Miami’s growth and success have come not from the leadership inside city hall, but from the energy, resilience, and creativity of its people.”
Alex Díaz de la Portilla is a political consultant. He served in the Florida legislature from 1994 to 2010 and as a Miami city commissioner from 2019 to 2023, when Governor DeSantis suspended him after he and local lobbyist William “Bill” Riley Jr. were arrested on criminal charges of bribery and money laundering. That case was dropped in 2024 by the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, which noted in its close-out memo that there was “no evidence of corrupt intent, falsification, or quid-pro-quo arrangements” among any of the parties. “Political rivals and the fake media weaponized the legal system and used lawfare to interfere with my re-election; but they failed to destroy me,” Díaz de la Portilla said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “Now fully vindicated, I am back to serve the community I love and to make Miami Great Again. Get ready.”
Emilio González is a partner at an asset management company based in Los Angeles. He served as Miami city manager from 2018 until January of 2020, when he quit amid a conflict with Joe Carollo. Prior to taking the city post, González served as director of Miami International Airport during U.S. Rep. Carlos A. Giménez’s tenure as Miami-Dade County mayor, and, before that, as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during George W. Bush’s presidential administration. On his campaign site, González asserts that he isn’t a career politician but a “battle-tested leader with a lifelong record of service, results, and putting country and community first.”
Michael A. Hepburn, a Miami native and FIU grad, is a nonprofit executive with Reimagine Miami Foundation Inc., according to his campaign website. “Raised by a single mother who worked for the Miami Art Museum and as an Early Childhood Education Teacher for more than 20 years, Michael understands the challenges facing our families and the perseverance needed to overcome life’s struggles,” his campaign bio states. He promises to improve Miami’s economy and to create a “sense of community where we all feel valued.”
Eileen Higgins stepped down as Miami-Dade County District 5 commissioner to run for the city’s mayoral post. On her campaign website, she pledges to restore trust in city hall, make the city more affordable to residents, improve public transit, and fund law enforcement to keep residents safe.
Ken Russell is a consultant for Arquest Partners LLC and former city commissioner (2017–22) who intends to bring integrity to city government. “Just as he cleaned up the park in front of his house, he’s ready to clean up the corruption in Miami City Hall,” he promises on his campaign website.
June Savage is a Miami native and real estate associate for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Coral Gables. on her campaign website, she describes herself as a “loving Mom and abuela, concerned longtime Miami advocate, and real estate professional.” A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she also advocates for cyclist safety.
Xavier L. Suarez, father of Mayor Francis Suarez, is an attorney and former Miami mayor, having served from 1985 to 1993 and again from 1997 to 1998. That term was cut short when the senior Suarez was ousted following an investigation that uncovered evidence of absentee ballot fraud in a campaign that had pitted him against…Joe Carollo. Suarez doesn’t appear to have a campaign website.
