Interim Councilwoman Melinda De La Vega (left) and Luis Rodriguez.
Miami Herald Staff
In one of the most competitive elections in Hialeah in a decade, 12 candidates competed for four council seats, including two incumbents running for the same position.
Melinda De La Vega, an interim councilwoman, was elected to Seat 6 with 60.5% of the vote. Her opponent, Juan Junco, who ran alongside interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves as part of her slate, finished with 39.5%, falling short in his bid to unseat her.
De La Vega said she was “super happy” that residents turned out to vote.
“My commitment remains to the residents of our city,” De La Vega said. “The residents voted and made their voices heard. Now it’s time to come together with the mayor’s office and my colleagues on the council to get things done.”
De La Vega was part of Councilman Jesús Tundidor’s slate, who was defeated by former Councilman Bryan Calvo, who was elected outright.
Junco, running against De La Vega said that he ran for the seat out of a commitment to his team, but added that he was relieved he wouldn’t be serving on the council under mayor-elect Bryan Calvo.
“I’m 87 years old,” Junco said. “I’m not sure if I could still be walking the city in four years if I had been elected.”
Miami-Dade County Commissioner René García, right, talks with Hialeah City Council member Juan Junco who lost the election during Interim Mayor Jackie Garcia-Roves’ election night party at her campaign headquarters on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Hialeah, Fla. Garcia-Roves lost the Hialeah mayoral race to Bryan Calvo. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
Councilman Luis Rodriguez was reelected to Seat 7 with 57% of the vote, defeating Abdel Jimenez, who ran unsuccessfully for the second time. On Aug. 21, just weeks before voters returned to the polls for Hialeah’s November mayoral and council elections, including his own seat, Rodriguez filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, citing more than $102,000 in personal debt.
Rodriguez told the Herald he will never stop working for “my residents in the city I love.” He attended Calvo’s election night party at Hialeah Park soon after Calvo was elected outright.
Two seats headed to runoffs
Gelien Perez, a candidate for Seat 3 aligned with De La Vega and part of Tundidor’s slate, received 40.5% of the vote. She secured a spot in the runoff against Jessica Castillo, who came in second with 36%.
While working in the city’s Human Resources Department, Perez was investigated by the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics & Public Trust between 2018 and 2020. The investigation found indications that she used her city position to benefit her private real estate business. Several of her real estate clients were also city employees under her supervision and, during that period, received substantial raises.
William “Willy” Marrero, the only member of interim Mayor García-Roves’s slate who didn’t lose, and Javier Morejon will face off in the runoff for Seat 5 — considered the most competitive council race besides the mayoral contest, which drew five candidates. Marrero received 25% of the vote, while Morejon, running as an independent, earned 23.3% — a difference of just 235 votes. The runoff is scheduled for Dec. 9.
Hialeah City Council candidate William “Willy” Marrero hugs a supporter after learning he advanced to the runoff election during Interim Mayor Jackie Garcia-Roves’s election night watch party at her campaign headquarters on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Hialeah, Fla. Garcia-Roves, who was running for mayor, lost her bid to former Councilman Bryan Calvo. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
Marrero told the Herald that he is grateful for the trust Hialeah has placed in him.
“Thank you for believing in me and helping me lead in the primary,” he said. “Now, I’m asking for your support again so we can continue moving forward together.”
When the Herald asked Calvo if he would endorse any of the candidates running for council in the runoff, he said he hasn’t thought about it yet but did not rule it out.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 9:54 PM.
el Nuevo Herald
Verónica Egui Brito ha profundizado en temas sociales apremiantes y de derechos humanos. Cubre noticias dentro de la vibrante ciudad de Hialeah y sus alrededores para el Nuevo Herald y el Miami Herald. Se unió al Herald en 2022. Verónica Egui Brito has delved into pressing social, and human rights issues. She covers news within the vibrant city of Hialeah, and its surrounding areas for el Nuevo Herald, and the Miami Herald. Joined the Herald in 2022.