Richard D. Lara

Richard D. Lara serves as a City Commissioner for Group 3 on the Coral Gables City Commission, a nonpartisan municipal office he attained after winning a competitive runoff election on April 22, 2025, against candidate Thomas Wells. Prior to his election, Lara built a prominent career in law and media, serving as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS), where he oversees operational strategies and guides complex corporate, regulatory, and financial compliance matters. A third-generation Coral Gables resident, he is a proud graduate of Coral Gables Senior High School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and was nominated for a Silver Knight Award in Journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School. Lara previously served as Vice Chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission for Florida's Third District Court of Appeal following an appointment by Governor Rick Scott, and sat on the board of directors for Easterseals South Florida. Backed heavily by the mayoral network during his campaign, Lara has used his tenure to prioritize structural accountability, civility, and municipal transparency. Following a voter-approved city charter referendum on April 21, 2026, his initial term was shortened by five months, meaning his Group 3 seat will run continuously until the November 2028 municipal election cycle.

The City of Coral Gables Commission is the governing legislative body of Coral Gables, a municipality in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Commissioners are responsible for setting city policy, adopting the municipal budget, enacting local ordinances, and providing oversight of city administration.