A longtime advocate vs. an incumbent. Meet the candidates for Doral City Council Seat 1

The upcoming electoral cycle in Doral could shift the tone of debate in the city’s heated political atmosphere, a situation that has recently led to deadlocked votes . The two factions of the council each claim to be the true advocate for residents while accusing the other side of pursuing an agenda for personal gain.

Three of the five council seats are up for grabs in November, with two incumbents — Mayor Christi Fraga and Seat 1 Councilman Rafael Pineyro — seeking reelection. Fraga and Pineyro frequently vote together, while council members Digna Cabral, Maureen Porras and Oscar Puig-Corve are often on the opposing side. Puig-Corve’s Seat 3 is also on the ballot after he decided not to seek reelection.

READ MORE: Three Doral council candidates are promising to end the polarization. Who are they?

While both Pinyero and his opponent, Ivette Gonzalez Petkovich, have centered their campaigns on the city’s ongoing political battle with Miami-Dade over the possible relocation of the county’s garbage incinerator , both acknowledge that the Miami-Dade County Commission will have the ultimate decision on whether to relocate the facility or keep it within Doral city limits.

El Nuevo Herald spoke with both candidates to learn more about their views. Here’s what the two had to say.

Pineyro cites revoking council pensions and opening Central Park as key accomplishments

Pineyro, 40, told el Nuevo Herald he considered the revocation of lifetime pensions for former elected officials one of his major accomplishments during his tenure, fulfilling a key promise from his 2022 election campaign. The vote in June 2023 to revoke the pensions — which were initially approved in 2021 — significantly influenced the dynamics on the council and sparked a pending lawsuit against the city filed by four former Doral employees, including former mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez, who is now a Miami-Dade County commissioner.

Pineyro also cited the opening of Doral Central Park , which after six years of construction has become the city’s largest recreational space, as one of his key accomplishments. Initially expected to cost $150 million, the project ended up costing Doral residents over $180 million, with the city covering the additional $30 million from its reserves. Pineyro noted that after he became a council member, the council was able to save $10 million by reducing additional costs associated with the park’s development.

READ MORE: Doral just opened a massive 78-acre park. Take a look at what’s inside

Pineyro has also been a vocal advocate for the relocation of the incinerator, which has been located in Doral since the 1980s. After it caught fire in 2023, the county has been weighing whether to rebuild it at the same site or elsewhere.

“We’ve been collecting signatures as a city, which are officially presented to the [county] commissioners,” Pineyro said. “We’ve held more than five community meetings with residents across different parts of the city to ensure that together, Doral doesn’t once again become the site of a new plant. We’ve paid the price for nearly 40 years — this is both an environmental issue and a health concern for our residents.”

As part of his campaign, Pineyro has also promised to advocate for responsible and controlled growth and for workforce housing programs. Recently, the city council approved a development in the last phase of Midtown Doral that will include a workforce housing component meant for firefighters, military personnel, teachers and nurses. According to the councilman, around 60 units would be designated for that group.

“This project is the one that will be located right in front of the Ronald Reagan High School, where the intention is that even teachers can now live near where this project would be. This project is the continuation of what Midtown Doral is,” he said.

Pineyro recently voted against former president Donald Trump’s resort project , which he showed as evidence of his commitment to combating overdevelopment in the city, a key part of his campaign platform. The project, which passed its first vote in August, proposes the construction of a 1,429-unit condominium and 141,000 square feet of retail on the edge of the Trump National Doral Miami.

READ MORE: Donald Trump leaves his name off a luxe condo complex he’s building in the Miami market

Pineyro reaffirmed that his opposition remains consistent with his commitment to maintaining controlled and sustainable growth in Doral. Pineyro said the location of the project, on the corner on 87th Avenue and 41st Street, has reached its maximum expansion capacity.

“The city has consistently discussed the need to avoid high-density projects to the west of 87th Avenue. We have to be cautious as we look into the future,” he remarked. “I am very careful in any project that is approved, as it’s essential to preserve the quality of life of our residents.”

While Pineyro’s campaign finance disclosures note that more than $10,000 of the $95,880 he had raised through Sept. 23 came from real estate companies, he said that none of the donations have ever been tied to a conditional vote or any specific project approval.

On the council, Pineyro is a close ally of Fraga, and some residents have voiced concerns over his independence. Pineyro addressed those concerns by asserting his autonomy, noting that while he shares a similar vision for the city’s future, he has at times voted differently from the mayor.

“I’ve always said that it’s not just about defending Fraga’s project, it’s about sharing a similar vision for the future of Doral,” he said.

Pineyro holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s in psychology. His career has included roles at the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department and serving as a case manager in the Williamson County, Texas, juvenile court, where he worked as a youth services officer. He later joined the city of Doral as a legislative analyst and then served as chief of staff for Bermudez. A registered Republican, Pineyro now runs his own management consultant firm, Pineyro Enterprise Inc.

Gonzalez Petkovich advocates for relocating the incinerator

Gonzalez Petkovich, 45, is an attorney specializing in criminal law, family law, domestic violence law and cannabis law. She served as a prosecutor with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for five years and currently runs her own law firm. She also has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and political science.

A longtime advocate for the relocation of Miami-Dade’s incinerator, Gonzalez Petkovich has been pushing for its move since 2016, well before the fire that destroyed the facility in 2023.

Gonzalez Petkovich said her involvement in politics stems from her commitment to fighting against injustices. Even though she has not sought a position on school boards, one of her primary concerns is the funding of public schools, which she believes have been deprived of essential resources. Her concerns also extend to broader community issues, such as the relocation of the incinerator and the difficulties faced by mothers of children with special medical conditions in securing access to medical marijuana for treatment.

This marks her third attempt at securing public office. In 2016, she ran for the Florida House of Representatives in District 103, challenging incumbent Manny Diaz Jr. During that campaign, she faced criticisms for not residing in the district she sought to represent . She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the seat but was ultimately defeated by Diaz in the general election. She now is registered as a non-affiliated voter.

In 2022, Gonzalez Petkovich made another political bid, this time running for Doral’s Seat 2, where she was defeated in a runoff by Maureen Porras. Porras, now a pivotal swing vote, plays a key role in Doral’s ongoing political turmoil.

Like Pineyro, Gonzalez Petkovich has expressed worries about overdevelopment. While she didn’t specify which projects she would deny as a councilwoman, she emphasized the need for the council to have a better understanding of proposed developments and to carefully assess which areas within the municipality are appropriate for future growth.

She made it clear that she won’t be seeking alliances as a councilwoman. “I want to be a council member focused solely on the interests of the residents, nothing else. My experience has always been centered on that,” she said.

Gonzalez Petkovich also expressed concern about police getting involved in politics, citing their frequent appearances at political events with the city’s elected officials. “The police should not be involved in politics,” she stated. “They must maintain a much clearer independence than what we see now.”

Gonzalez Petkovich said that her focus on cannabis law is rooted in advocacy. She has been helping the mothers of children with medical problems ranging from brain cancer to epilepsy by representing them in court to secure access to medicinal marijuana to alleviate their children’s pain or symptoms.

Gonzalez Petkovich has served on several boards in Doral, from the Citizens Audit Advisory Board in 2018 to the current Doral Charter Revision Commission, which approved 10 amendments to the Doral Charter that will also appear on the November ballot. According to her, those changes aim to “clarify the language and ensure transparency.”

She has raised $4,310, mostly through individual donations, as of Sept. 23.

Where the candidates stand apart

Pineyro supported council laws to limit hours for nightclubs following the April shooting at Martini Bar, which killed two people and injured seven others.

Gonzalez Petkovich has expressed caution regarding that approach, stating that the council’s response seemed reactive and that imposing an hour limitation might not have prevented the shooting. Gonzalez Petkovich believes that instead of introducing a new ordinance in response to the shooting, the focus should have been on better enforcement of existing laws.

READ MORE: Doral tightens security requirements for nightclubs in the wake of fatal shooting

Although both candidates oppose the recreational use of marijuana, they bring different views to the matter.

Gonzalez Petkovich has been an advocate for medical marijuana with the Florida Cannabis Coalition and was part of the Amendment 2 movement in Florida in 2016, when state residents voted to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana.

In contrast, Pineyro has taken a more conservative approach, proposing a resolution in opposition to this year’s Amendment 3 , which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. His proposal was deferred with a 3-2 vote by the City Council, following a suggestion from Councilwoman Digna Cabral to wait for the voters’ decision in November.

Pineyro said the legalization of recreational marijuana poses a risk to existing laws, compromises community safety and threatens the well-being of residents while primarily benefiting special interests within the marijuana industry. “By opposing Amendment 3, we uphold our commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all residents,” Pineyro’s memo said.

Gonzalez Petkovich argued that Pineyro’s proposal won’t make a difference if voters support the amendment. “The reality is far more complex. To address this issue, you need experience,” she said.

She added that while she’s not in favor of legalizing recreational use, she continues to support medical marijuana usage.

“I strongly supported medical marijuana because I’ve lived through its benefits, but the Department of Health has done a poor job with regulation,” she said. “If Amendment 3 passes, it’ll be like the Wild West. Florida still hasn’t figured out how to regulate it, and the state is not prepared for adult use.”