The 2026 race for the three open Village Council race, was thrown a virtual and real curveball Friday when Claire London announced she was ending her candidacy and jumping out of the race. Why she did it is understandable, as anyone who has made family-first choices before can attest.<\/p>\n
In my conversation with Claire early Friday, she told me that while her husband, outgoing Councilmember Ed London, is doing well today, she was thinking about the full four years ahead and the uncertainty surrounding his future health. She also knew that, if elected, she would give the Council seat \u201c100% of her full time and effort.\u201d Together, those considerations led her to step out of the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I can be more effective for residents working in the peripheral,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
What does Claire’s decision mean for the Village Council race, now with four active candidates vying for those open 3 seats? How will voters who were leaning towards supporting Claire vote now? Who benefits from the reduced candidate field?<\/p>\n
Fascinating questions, to which we will have to wait until the evening of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to find out.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, to help Key Biscayne voters make their choices, Islander News presents its traditional \u201cIn My Own Words\u201d candidate statements. Former Councilmember Luis \u201cLucho\u201d de la Cruz, Vice Mayor Oscar Sardi\u00f1as, longtime resident, and educator, Silvia Tarafa and Councilmember Fernando Vazquez share their priorities. We thank them for participating and wish them luck in the campaign.<\/p>\n
And for residents, beginning with our Oct. 7 issue, we also will publish residents\u2019 mini endorsements of candidates and issues.<\/p>\n
Silvia Tarafa<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When I look around our island, I see something truly special: a community united by a deep love for Key Biscayne.<\/p>\n
This island is more than the place we call home. It is where our families have grown, where friendships have been built, where memories have been made and where generations have found a sense of belonging. We have all been entrusted with something very special, and we each have a responsibility to protect it, strengthen it and help shape its future.<\/p>\n
That is why I am running.<\/p>\n
My commitment to Key Biscayne began more than 40 years ago. Over those decades, I have had the privilege of serving this community in many different ways \u2014 as a member of the Athletic Club, through the KBCS PTA, volunteering at countless regattas and community events, serving on the founding board of the Key Biscayne Community Foundation, the Education Advisory Board and the Board of Governors of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club.<\/p>\n
Perhaps my most meaningful opportunity to serve was as principal of Key Biscayne K\u20138 Center for 13 years.<\/p>\n
Those years gave me an extraordinary perspective on our community. I saw firsthand the hopes and aspirations of our children, the dedication of our families, and the commitment of the people who work every day to make Key Biscayne a wonderful place to live, raise a family, and build a life. Most importantly, I learned that the strength of Key Biscayne has always come from its people and from what we can accomplish when we work together.<\/p>\n
Today, our island faces important challenges. Meeting those challenges will require thoughtful planning, responsible stewardship, fiscal responsibility and meaningful community engagement. It will require leaders who listen, bring people together and remain focused on the long-term well-being of our entire community.<\/p>\n
I am committed to working toward a safer and more resilient island, responsible fiscal management, exceptional public amenities for all residents, educational excellence and a strong, consistent voice on decisions that affect our connection to the mainland.<\/p>\n
I am not running simply to hold a position. I am running because I believe that service matters, experience matters, listening matters and Key Biscayne matters.<\/p>\n
I do not take your support for granted. I ask for the opportunity to continue serving the community I have loved and been part of for more than four decades.<\/p>\n
Oscar Sardi\u00f1as<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Since 1984, Key Biscayne has given my family a life I could never repay. My parents, my brothers, my wife, Joanne and our two daughters \u2026 this island is home to all of us. Serving it is how I give something back.<\/p>\n
I’ve led international business units across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Today I coach executives and consult for small businesses. Both taught me to question the numbers, bring out the best in people and remember that nobody has a monopoly on good ideas. My colleagues have unanimously elected me Vice Mayor two years running.<\/p>\n
I voted to require a zoning code review before approving new site plans, because we should renew this island, not grow it. Coaching has shaped how I serve, bringing exceptional island talent onto our advisory boards. As Council liaison to the Education Advisory Board, I’ve helped forge partnerships with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, our PTSA and EESAC and remain committed to the most exceptional education for our children. Our Sustainability Advisory Board delivered the Village’s first-ever Sustainability Summit, drawing several municipalities across South Florida, and our Athletic Advisory Board is doing important work too.<\/p>\n
On our barrier island, the largest infrastructure undertaking in Village history (stormwater, undergrounding and flood protection) must be seen through with discipline and common sense. I’ll keep pushing for real oversight of your tax dollars, defending our island’s ability to govern itself efficiently, and strengthening our partnerships across the bay. I’ll keep expanding parks, open spaces and offerings for every generation, from seniors to a Youth Council that helps our young people excel, a cause I’ve championed since leading our softball program.<\/p>\n
Key Biscayne doesn’t take care of itself. I’m asking for four more years to keep doing that work, and I’d be honored to have your vote.<\/p>\n
Fernando Vazquez<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My connection to Key Biscayne began in the 1970s, when I first came here with my father. My family made our home in the early 2000s. My brother-in-law, his son and my niece live on the island, and I have friendships here spanning decades. Key Biscayne is our home in every sense.<\/p>\n
My daughter was educated here, attending Key Biscayne K-8 and St. Agnes, played volleyball here and is now studying at the University of Miami. This community helped form her, which is one reason I want families to choose Key Biscayne and stay here.<\/p>\n
I am a registered Professional Engineer with 40 years of experience working in coastal communities, including service as City Engineer for Miami Beach and decades of work on transportation, traffic, water, infrastructure, and Biscayne Bay. That experience gives me practical ways to protect the community I love.<\/p>\n
Away from Council, I am a classical pianist, and I believe strongly in the arts. Music has taught me patience, discipline and how to truly listen, and through my daughter’s path in opera, I’ve seen how much music and arts education give our children.<\/p>\n
Four years on Council taught me that leadership begins with listening. I want to protect the Bay, address flooding and sea level rise, strengthen schools, bring in the arts and build a beautiful and safer community for the next generation, while making sure Key Biscayne remains a place where longtime residents and seniors can grow old, and where new families can put down roots. I would be honored to keep earning your trust.<\/p>\n
FAMILIES COME FIRST. PROTECTING OUR ISLAND. BUILDING OUR FUTURE.<\/p>\n
Luis \u201cLucho\u201d de la Cruz<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I have lived in Key Biscayne for more than 50 years. I met my wife and raised two Key Rat boys here. Through my civic endeavors, I served as Commodore of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, was elected to the 2014-2018 Village Council, served as Chair of the Vision Board and served as a Board member and VP of the KBAC. I am a longtime lector at St. Agnes Church.<\/p>\n
Over the past several months, I have become even more involved in Village Council issues. As many of you know, I led the effort to bring critical institutional knowledge of the island\u2019s storm sewer systems to the Council, knowledge that helped shape a solution that was more scalable, sustainable and environmentally sensitive than the unrealistic concept originally proposed by the administration\u2019s engineers.<\/p>\n
The Village faces many challenges ahead that require seasoned KB leadership.<\/p>\n
We face the existential threat of the Bear Cut Bridge, the redevelopment of the Virginia Key and overwhelming Rickenbacker Causeway traffic.<\/p>\n
We need to put our utilities underground. We need a sustainable solution to our ever-disappearing beach sand, perhaps with offshore wave dissipators.<\/p>\n
We need to find a way to save our K-8 middle school which once was the pride of Key Biscayne.<\/p>\n
Like many residents, I am deeply concerned about the Village’s direction. It is time for the Council to get back to its fundamental responsibility: setting clear policy, providing direction and holding the administration accountable for delivering results.<\/p>\n
This is only the beginning. Please stay tuned.<\/p>\n
I respectfully ask for your vote so I can put my experience to work on the challenges facing Key Biscayne and help make our Village an even better place to live.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 race for the three open Village Council race, was thrown a virtual and real curveball Friday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":414654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[25535,126,148120,123,125,124,53157,143325,127,164279],"class_list":["post-414653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-fernando-vazquez","tag-key-biscayne","tag-lucho-de-la-cruz","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-oscar-sardias","tag-silvia-tarafa","tag-village-council","tag-village-council-seats"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/414654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}