Candidate Mike Redondo, Florida House District 118

State Rep. Mike Redondo, a Republican, is seeking reelection to the Florida House of Representatives in District 118 in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. He faces one opponent on the Miami-Dade ballot: Democrat Armando “A.C.” Castillo, a transit worker and former West Kendall community council member. District 118 covers unincorporated areas of southwest Miami-Dade County west of Florida’s Turnpike.

At a Glance

Office: Florida House of Representatives, District 118
Area covered: Unincorporated southwest Miami-Dade, west of Florida’s Turnpike between Sweetwater and Cutler Bay
Party: Republican
Incumbent: Yes, in office since December 2023
Opponent on the ballot: Armando “A.C.” Castillo (DEM)
Official House page: flhouse.gov

Background

Redondo was born in Miami on Dec. 27, 1984, according to his Florida House profile. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida in 2007 and a law degree from the Florida State University College of Law in 2010. He is an attorney and lists Miami as his home city.

The son of Cuban exiles, Redondo grew up in the area that is now District 118, the Miami Herald reported in 2023. Before taking office he practiced as a personal injury lawyer and was founder and managing partner of Redondo Law. In 2023, he told Florida Politics that his work with insurance companies shaped his approach to homeowners insurance rates.

Redondo first ran for office in a December 2023 special election, called after Republican Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin left the seat to become Miami-Dade’s clerk of the courts and comptroller. He won that race with 51.8% of the vote over Democrat Johnny Farias (45.6%) and no-party candidate Francisco De La Paz (2.6%), according to Ballotpedia. In November 2024 he won a full term over Democrat Joel Vodola, 68.3% to 31.7%.

In 2025, all 22 members of the House Republican freshman class chose Redondo to serve as Speaker of the Florida House after the 2030 elections, Florida Politics reported. If he continues to win reelection and the designation holds, he would be Miami-Dade’s fourth House Speaker this century, according to a later Florida Politics report.

In Their Own Words

“It’s homeowner insurance, housing affordability — really the kitchen table issues”

Mike Redondo, on voters’ priorities, Florida Politics, December 2023

“It’s really about policy, not politics, and I’m really excited about the opportunity to get to work”

Mike Redondo, after winning the 2023 special election, Florida Politics

“I’m excited for us to work together over the coming years to keep Florida on the right track.”

Mike Redondo, on being chosen as a future House Speaker, Florida Politics, 2025

“it would be irresponsible to delay the creation and passage of a new map, especially until after session.”

Mike Redondo, as chair of the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, Florida Phoenix, Dec. 4, 2025

“Let me be very clear, our work as a committee and as a legislative body is not directed by the work of other states”

Mike Redondo, at the redistricting committee’s first meeting, as reported by WUSF, December 2025

Record and Priorities

Committee roles

Redondo’s Florida House profile lists him as chair of the Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting and as a member of the Health & Human Services Committee and the Health Professions & Programs, Economic Infrastructure, Health Care Budget, and Housing, Agriculture & Tourism subcommittees. His district office is at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus.

Housing: the Live Local Act

In the 2026 session, Redondo sponsored HB 1389, the third set of revisions to the Live Local Act, Florida’s 2023 affordable housing law, according to Florida Politics. As described in that report, the House version would require counties and cities to allow multifamily and mixed-use housing in commercial, industrial and mixed-use zones when at least 40% of units stay affordable for at least 30 years. It would also permit affordable housing on qualifying land owned by religious institutions, adjust property-tax rules for affordable projects, strengthen fair-housing protections and let local governments with an adequate supply of affordable units opt out. The House approved the measure 98-4 at that stage. Redondo said House members had “made sure we have sufficient protections” for local governments. A later Florida Politics report said the bill drew unified opposition from House Democrats and became law.

AI-generated sexual images

Redondo and Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson sponsored a 2025 law making it a felony to create, solicit or possess AI-generated nude images of a real person without consent, and allowing victims to sue, according to a Fresh Take Florida report published by Florida Politics. The bill passed the Legislature unanimously and was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2025.

Other legislation

Florida Politics reported that Redondo has also passed measures setting safety standards for office surgery suites and addressing factors considered in capital sentencing.

Congressional redistricting

In September 2025, then-House Speaker Daniel Perez named Redondo chair of a new Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, created to consider redrawing Florida’s congressional map before the 2026 midterms, Florida Politics reported. At the committee’s first meeting in December 2025, Redondo argued that waiting until after the regular session to act would be irresponsible given the approaching candidate qualifying deadline, and said the committee was not driven by other states or partisan motives, according to the Florida Phoenix. Democrats opposed the mid-decade redraw; Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called it “a backroom power grab from Republican politicians,” Florida Politics reported. The Legislature ultimately passed a new congressional map during an April 2026 special session, with the House voting 83-28, according to the Florida Phoenix.

Stated priorities

During his first campaign, Redondo named homeowners insurance and housing affordability as his top issues. He also backed state transportation funding for Miami-Dade, job training for blue-collar workers, Everglades protection and local flood-mitigation resources, the Miami Herald and Florida Politics reported. After his selection as a future Speaker, he emphasized economic growth, parental involvement, fiscal health and preserving liberty, according to Florida Politics.

2023 residency question

After Redondo’s 2023 special election win, Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida’s journalism college, reported that he had signed a mortgage on a condo outside the district that required him to live there, then leased an apartment inside District 118 weeks later. Farias sued to block him from taking office. Redondo moved to dismiss, arguing that only the Florida House can judge its members’ qualifications, according to a report published by WUSF. Redondo told American Lawyer Media at the time that he had spoken with his lender and there were no residency issues, the report said. Florida Politics later reported that no injunction was issued, no court found he lived outside the district, and he was seated.

Campaign finance

As of five days before the August 2026 primary, Redondo had raised $2.45 million this election cycle through his campaign account and political committee and had $1.54 million on hand, including money carried over from earlier cycles, Florida Politics reported. Most of it came from health care, real estate, technology and insurance interests, according to that report.

About the District

Florida House District 118 is a narrow, unincorporated strip of southwest Miami-Dade west of Florida’s Turnpike, running between Sweetwater and Cutler Bay, according to Florida Politics. It includes communities west of Kendall and Zoo Miami. Most of its voters are Hispanic, the Miami Herald reported. Because the area is unincorporated, residents rely on Miami-Dade County, rather than a city government, for municipal-level services.

The seat has changed hands between parties in the past decade. Republican Frank Artiles held it from 2010 to 2016, Democrat Robert Asencio from 2016 to 2018, and Republicans Anthony Rodriguez and Juan Fernandez-Barquin before Redondo.

What This Office Does

The Florida House of Representatives has 120 members, each elected to a two-year term. Representatives write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which covers areas such as property insurance regulation, public schools, state roads and transit funding, health care programs including Medicaid, and the rules that counties and cities must follow on zoning and development. Members can also request state funding for projects in their districts. The annual legislative session is held in Tallahassee.

The Race

In the Aug. 18, 2026, Republican primary, Redondo defeated educator and behavior analyst Marco Insua, 7,656 votes (84.92%) to 1,360 (15.08%), according to preliminary results reported by the South Dade News Leader.

His Democratic opponent is Armando “A.C.” Castillo. Castillo works night shifts in transit and chairs the political committee of a local Transport Workers Union chapter, according to Florida Politics. A former member of Miami-Dade’s community council for West Kendall, he is campaigning on property insurance costs, rent burden, teacher pay and opposition to voucher expansion. A separate profile of Castillo is available in this voter guide.

Florida Politics described Redondo as heavily favored in the general election.

How to Vote

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters in line at 7 p.m. may still vote.
Early voting in Miami-Dade: Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, according to the Miami-Dade Elections early voting schedule.
Vote by mail: Requests must be received by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Completed ballots must reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day; postmarks do not count. See the vote-by-mail page.
Sample ballots, polling places and voter status are available from the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.

Community Leadership Alliance is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. This profile is based on public records, candidate statements and news coverage, including the South Dade News Leader. Candidates who wish to submit corrections may contact us through our Contact page.