A military veteran, a community activist, the vice chairman of a state agency, a journalism teacher and a psychologist have filed to become Hialeah’s new interim council member following the resignation of Bryan Calvo, who stepped down to run unsuccessfully for county tax collector.
The candidates range in age from 29 to 86 years old.
Juan Francisco Junco, 86, the oldest applicant for seat six, is considered the most likely candidate to be appointed as a placeholder, according to several council members who spoke with the Miami Herald days before he filed his candidacy on Nov. 5. The appointment is scheduled for Tuesday.
There will be an election for the seat on Nov. 4, 2025.
Junco is the vice chair of the Hialeah Housing Authority, where he has served as a board member since 2018. He was also a member of the city’s Charter Review Committee in 2019 and was recently reappointed to the housing authority board through February 2026.
The housing authority is a state agency that receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and currently operates 1,117 public housing units. Recently, the authority assumed management of Hialeah’s affordable housing, taking over 625 units across 14 properties throughout the city.
Junco has also worked as a plant manager and production supervisor in the private sector for two different companies, from 1969 to 2000. However, his resume lists no professional activities between 2000-18, when he began serving as a board member for the housing authority under former mayor Carlos Hernandez.
Junco’s involvement in politics dates back to 2016, when he ran for the Republican Committee in Miami-Dade’s District 6. He finished third with 17% of the vote. However, sources familiar with his nomination noted that he has been active in Hialeah politics for many years, having supported the campaigns of two former mayors, Carlos Hernandez and Julio Robaina.
If appointed, Junco would have to step down from his position on the housing authority, according to agency director Julio Ponce.
City officials have said Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo is recommending Junco after his preferred candidate, Carlos San José, was unable to apply for this position. San José, the mayor’s former deputy chief of staff, was considered the strongest candidate to fill Calvo´s vacancy when the former council member announced in March his intention to run for tax collector. However, his nomination raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest. San José left the mayor’s office in September to take on the role of assistant city attorney and director of external government affairs.
The other candidates
In addition to Junco, four other candidates have filed to fill the council seat, the second vacancy of 2024. The first vacancy occurred when Angelica Pacheco was suspended from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 25 following a federal indictment on charges of committing a multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud at a rehab clinic.
▪ Lisa Setrini Espinosa, 47, holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Miami and a teacher certification from the University of Central Florida. She currently teaches CTE Digital Media at Westland Hialeah Senior High School.
Espinosa worked for the City of Hialeah from 2003-12 as supervisor of communications and special events.
In her letter of intent, she said her personal and professional experience in Hialeah has allowed her to build strong relationships with residents, businesses and community groups, giving her “a deep understanding of the issues that matter most to the community, from education and economic development to public safety and cultural preservation.”
She believes the city council needs to focus on more in affordable housing. She told the Herald many of her students and their families are moving out Hialeah due to lack of affordable housing.
According to the Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Plan, prepared by Florida International University in 2020, more than 12,000 new rental units are needed to meet the city’s housing demand. In January, the city established an Affordable Housing Task Force, and new ordinances are expected soon mandating a percentage of affordable housing in the city.
Espinosa is married to Justo Espinosa, Hialeah’s Transit Director, which could potentially raise concerns about a conflict of interest. She told the Herald that if appointed as a council member, she would recuse herself from voting on any matters that directly involve her husband. She said that her decisions would be based on her own independent views. “I will always vote based on what I believe is right,” she said. “The fact that the mayor is my husband’s boss will not influence my decisions.”
“I’m not doing this as his wife or even as a former employee,” Espinosa added. “I’m doing this because I am a resident of Hialeah, and I want to make a difference.”
▪ Kassandra Montandon, 29, currently runs several education initiatives, including a financial literacy program that helps low- to moderate-income Miami-Dade Public School and Miami Dade College students, including those at the Hialeah campus, explore education and career opportunities.
Montandon has an Associate’s in Arts degree in Psychology from Miami Dade College and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida International University.
Montandon said her background in clinical psychology, along with her experience as education director for the Center for Financial Training, a nonprofit in partnership with Miami Dade College, would help her serve effectively as an interim council member and advocate for Hialeah’s residents.
▪ Juan Santana, 41, is an activist who frequently speaks out at council meetings about local developments, rising fees for water and trash services and other issues affecting long-time residents.
Santana is a former three-time mayoral candidate and a former candidate for an interim council seat in 2022 and July 2024. Santana promises to foster greater government transparency, provide affordable housing for workers, and reduce trash collection fees and water bills.
Santana holds a high school diploma and pursued political science in college, though he did not complete his degree. He is currently the vice president of Positive Hits Community Service Group South, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people in need in Hialeah.
▪ Lawrence Jay Arther, 58, a military veteran, attended the special meeting on Nov. 4, when the council discussed the process to fill the vacant seat. During the meeting, he announced his intention to apply for the position. Arther urged the council and mayor to “stop harming people, especially veterans, with fines.” Hialeah records shows that Arther resides in a property that accumulated fines in 2023 for code compliance violations.
“I’m asking you to stop harming people with fines and other measures you have in place. I’m asking you to find in your heart alternative ways… and please consider me for the city council,” Arther said.
In his letter of intent, Arther said he was applying because he has “the interest of the community not my own agenda—working for the betterment of the community, disabled veterans, and all those who feel they don’t have a voice.” However, his application lacks a resume and details about his military service.
Espinosa and Montandon, the two female candidates, have expressed interest in running for the council seat in the 2025 election if appointed to the interim position. However, the council is seeking a “placeholder” to serve for one year until a decision is made about who will ultimately run for the seat.
Next year, Hialeah will have four of its seven council seats on the ballot, along with the mayor’s seat. Two of these seats are up for reelection, while the other two would be held by interim council members. One of the interim members, Melinda De La Vega, was appointed on July 16 to fill Pacheco’s vacancy.
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