After notching resounding re-election victories this week, Miami Beach Commissioners Laura Dominguez and Alex Fernandez are making clear their preferred candidate in the runoff for the panel’s Group 1 seat.

Dominguez and Fernandez are endorsing Monica Matteo-Salinas, a former Commission aide to Fernandez and outgoing Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, the latter of whom Matteo-Salinas is running to succeed.

Dominguez called Matteo-Salinas “exactly the kind of voice we need on the City Commission: experienced, empathetic, and focused on the issues that matter most to our residents.”

“Monica Matteo-Salinas has earned the trust of our community through her years of service, her compassion, and her results-driven approach,” she said in a statement. “She knows Miami Beach and our potential.”

Fernandez described Matteo-Salinas as “compassionate, capable, and committed to doing what’s right for our residents.”

“She understands the seriousness of government and the respect our residents deserve,” he said. “Having worked directly with Monica, I’ve seen firsthand the years she spent helping people navigate City Hall with compassion and integrity — fighting for families, schools, safety, and the character of our city.”

Matteo-Salinas faces Republican lawyer Monique Pardo Pope for the City Commission’s Group 1 seat. The two earned the most votes in Tuesday’s General Election, but not a large enough share — more than 50% — to win outright.

Matteo-Salinas received 23.2% of the vote, while Pardo Pope got 20.1%, edging out third-place candidate Brian Ehrlich by 0.84 percentage points. Notably, Pardo Pope outraised Matteo-Salinas by more than twofold, though roughly a third of her funds were self-given.

Matteo-Salinas is running on a platform prioritizing traffic reduction, expanded transit options, strengthening neighborhood safety, improving schools and backing development that “benefits the entire community.”

She said in a statement that she is “honored” to have Dominguez and Fernandez’s support.

“This campaign is about putting residents first and building a city government that listens, acts, and delivers for our community,” she said. “Together, we can move Miami Beach forward with common sense, compassion, and integrity.”