GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES -- ELECTION NOV. 4, 2025: GROUP 1

Buckle up, Miami Beach. We are racing to protect what makes this city worth every ounce of effort: our democracy, our humanity, our shared sense of community. The starting flag has been waved, and we must get revved up with purpose and speed ahead to get out the vote.

Paradise is only paradise if everyone feels safe, seen, and heard.

It is up to us to elect progressive local leaders who will make a real difference and act as our last resort shield against the pernicious attacks from the federal and state governments. I don’t know about you, but these days I find myself fearing news headlines and notifications more than I ever feared zombies, vampires or falling meteorites (all metaphors for the chaos emerging out of Washington or Tallahassee).

Knowing that there is so much at stake and that all elections have consequences, we need to examine these final days of the Miami Beach November 4 general election closely and must get to know what drives each candidate.

The large field of candidates in Group 1 is likely to create voter confusion, especially now that Republican candidates have appropriated progressive talking points. Let’s not pretend this election is non-partisan—that would be disingenuous.

MBDC Group 1 Slate: Daniel Ciraldo, Brian Ehrlich and Monica Matteo-Salinas

The Miami Beach Democratic Club has vetted and is throwing its support behind Group 1 candidates Daniel Ciraldo, Brian Ehrlich, and Monica Matteo-Salinas. These candidates have demonstrated their alignment with our values and their ability to address complex issues based on experience gained by working for, against, or dealing with City Hall.

Daniel Ciraldo

Daniel Ciraldo has spent well over a decade championing historic preservation, arts and culture. Under his leadership as Executive Director of the Miami Design Preservation League he advanced protections for workforce housing in North Beach and designation of Miami Modern "MiMo" landmarks like the North Beach Bandshell, also launching the MDPL Center for Resiliency & Sustainability that focuses on solutions at the intersection of sea level rise and historic heritage.

Daniel has fought against incompatible development proposals throughout the city and for resident notification and transparency. He stood up against Tallahassee measures like the Live Local Act, Unsafe Structures, and SB180 which would strip away Miami Beach’s zoning protections on height and density, allowing developers to bypass local rules and force high-rises into low-rise neighborhoods. In 2023, he took the fight directly to Tallahassee, spearheading a statewide effort to defend historic zoning protections in Florida's coastal communities and gaining national attention.

Under Mayor Meiner’s “leadership,” Miami Beach stood still while other cities mounted legal challenges to Tallahassee’s overreach. Daniel pledges to change that, making the protection of local zoning laws a cornerstone of his platform.

Brian Ehrlich

Brian Ehrlich is a Miami Beach resident of more than 20 years, a real estate investor and civic leader. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, focusing on sustainable urban development and affordable housing.

His campaign page features his mission prominently: "I’m running to create a Miami Beach that’s affordable, inclusive, and culturally vibrant—where growth benefits residents."

Through steady, thoughtful work, Brian has spent years strengthening Miami Beach through smart planning, cultural investment, and hands-on civic leadership. At the Bass Museum, he helped shape a ten-year strategic plan that secured $20 million in city support, turning what could have been just another budget line into a genuine investment in our cultural life.

His record on city boards tells the same story: consistent, practical leadership grounded in respect for residents and a deep love of place. Whether serving on the Historic Preservation Board, the Cultural Arts Council, or the Capital Improvements Committee, Brian has built trust by listening first and acting with purpose. When Tallahassee tried to undermine local control over historic preservation, he didn’t shrug it off — he spoke out defending not only our architecture but our right to shape our own future.

Brian is now ready to bring that same commitment to City Hall and to insist on accountability, invest in the “city’s bones,” and make sure Miami Beach works for the people who live here.

Monica Matteo-Salinas

We kind of know that behind any leader there are numerous people jumping through hoops to get things done. As a Commission Aide to two different Miami Beach Commissioners, Monica Matteo-Salinas learned the workings of our city from the inside. She may not have been in the headlines, but she was in the trenches helping residents with their problems and now is ready to hit the ground running.

Monica is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison Honors College with a degree in Social Relations and Public Policy. She has always been interested and involved in her community and advocating for ways local government can best serve residents. Her professional background is in non-profit management, including working for the Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy at Miami-Dade College and working for national non-profits.

As a former board member and board chair of the Miami Beach Community Development, Monica has hands-on experience with affordable housing in Miami Beach. Among her other community advocacy accomplishments, she points to serving as Board Member for Miami Beach United, being a member of the Miami Beach Commission for Women, and being a graduate of Community Scholars in Affordable Housing Cohort at the University of Miami and of Miami Beach Citizens Police Academy.

Monica is a single mother who has lived in Miami Beach for over 16 years. She has been an educational activist since her two sons began attending school and as a former PTSA president she understands the needs of Miami Beach students and parents. She is committed to seeking expanded educational opportunities for our city’s students beyond what is provided by the Miami-Dade County School Board.

When it comes to issues that affect individuals and families on a daily basis, she understands how overdevelopment impacts the livability of our city and wants to ensure that the community receives more equitable and adequate benefits from new development.

The Other Candidates and Our Objections

Primarily, our objection to some of the other candidates in Group 1 is simple: as the Miami Beach Democratic Club, our raison d'être is to support Democrats. That is the easy answer.

Technically, city offices are nonpartisan and political affiliations do not appear on the ballot. That is nonsense. 

Some of the remaining Group 1 candidates, namely Ava Frankel, Matthew Gultanoff,* and Omar Jimenez, occupy the “MOSTLY TO SOMEWHAT HARMLESS” end of our Objections Spectrum: 1) they have not declared themselves as democrats, lack discernible democratic affiliations, or exist in a limbo of non-commitment to progressive values; 2) TLI, or too little information about them to make a confident judgment; 3) their political or community involvement has focused narrowly on one or two issues, which may limit their effectiveness; 4) and/or they do not have the background or expertise necessary to address the many critical challenges Miami Beach will face in the coming months and years.

Given our city’s climate vulnerability — and the current national political climate, with Washington and Tallahassee working to strip cities of sovereignty and strip citizens of constitutional rights — we cannot afford to treat the Miami Beach Commission as a training ground, even for well-meaning people.

At the opposite end of our Objections Spectrum sits Monique Pardo Pope: “SEVERELY MAGA, SETS OFF ALL KINDS OF FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS.”

Click the “About Monique” link on her campaign page, and as of this writing, the message reads: “It looks like nothing was found at this location.”

Florida Republicans have a history of backing candidates whose names create confusion on the ballot. The Monica/Monique similarity, combined with her compound last name, hits that target. It could, of course, be a coincidence.

Most concerning of all is Monique’s alignment with MAGA ideology. Miami Beach commissioners have fought tooth and nail against the MAGA war on women’s reproductive rights, the war on LGBTQ+ rights, the war on due process, and the war on truth. Our commissioners have persistently introduced and defended measures protecting citizens’ rights, free speech, enfranchisement, and even the continued existence of our historic district.

Scant days after the January 6th insurrection, Monique was photographed celebrating President Trump’s inauguration and posing with do-nothing-for-Florida Rick Scott. Also, she is listed as a member on the Republican National Lawyers Association directory and has served as a Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committeewoman. She is not hiding her affiliation to the GOP.

Washington’s and Tallahassee’s dictates and vision DO NOT WORK for Miami Beach. Monique’s campaign may echo familiar talking points, but she simply does not align with Miami Beach’s most basic and revered values — and her election could transform this city into a place we no longer recognize or cherish.

* Matthew Gultanoff has withdrawn his candidacy, as reported in a Notice to Voters on the City of Miami Beach Election Information page (https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/city-clerk/election-information/november-4-2025-general-and-special-elections/).