Candidate Karen Baez-Wallis, Palmetto Bay Mayor

Karen Baez-Wallis, a registered nurse and health care executive, is running for mayor of the Village of Palmetto Bay in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Mayor Karyn Cunningham is term-limited. Tamara Mourino and David M. Singer are also on the ballot for mayor, according to the Miami-Dade County sample ballot.

At a Glance

Office: Mayor, Village of Palmetto Bay
Area covered: Villagewide; the mayor is elected at large
Incumbent? No. The seat is open; Mayor Karyn Cunningham is term-limited.
Opponents on ballot: Tamara Mourino, David M. Singer
Campaign website: KarenBaezWallis.net

Background

Baez-Wallis announced her campaign in June 2026. Her announcement, published by Community Newspapers, says she is a registered nurse with more than 30 years of frontline and leadership experience in health care. Her career includes executive roles in trauma and emergency services, where she directed large health care operations and led multidisciplinary teams. The announcement says she helped lead the development of a new trauma center and pediatric emergency department in South Florida and worked with EMS, disaster response teams and other public safety partners.

According to the same announcement, she was a deployable member of the National Disaster Medical System and was trained to provide critical care leadership during national and international emergencies. It also describes her as an educator and community advocate. She is a lifetime Girl Scout and has led both Cub Scout and Girl Scout groups. Her husband is a retired Naval aviator who now works as a helicopter chief pilot, and their son, an Eagle Scout, is also a first responder.

Her campaign website says she has lived in Palmetto Bay for more than 13 years. She registered as a mayoral candidate on Jan. 27, 2026, according to registration dates the village clerk provided to Community Newspapers. In July she talked about her background and priorities in a video interview with CNEWS TV host Johnny G. Farias. No public record we reviewed shows her holding elected office before.

In Their Own Words

“I’m running for mayor because our residents deserve leadership that listens, brings people together, and stays focused on what matters most: safe neighborhoods, responsible growth, fiscal responsibility, and preserving the character of our Village.”

Karen Baez-Wallis, campaign announcement via Community Newspapers, June 12, 2026

“I’ve spent over 30 years guiding and helping people and communities through some of their most difficult moments.”

Karen Baez-Wallis, campaign announcement via Community Newspapers, June 12, 2026

“The most pressing issue facing Palmetto Bay is protecting our quality of life. Overdevelopment, traffic and infrastructure are interconnected, and every decision must consider its impact on our residents.”

Karen Baez-Wallis, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“More restaurants, more small shops so people can stay, work, live, and invest locally.”

Karen Baez-Wallis, speaking to CBS Miami, Oct. 9, 2026

“Leadership starts with showing up.”

Karen Baez-Wallis, campaign announcement via Community Newspapers, June 12, 2026

Where She Stands on the Issues

Development and village character

Baez-Wallis’s campaign centers on overdevelopment. Her issues page says future growth should respect the village’s zoning, infrastructure and the expectations of current residents. Her website says growth must be “responsible, balanced, and aligned with the unique character of our Village.” In the Miami Herald questionnaire, she said she would preserve neighborhoods and “stand firm against overdevelopment.” Protecting the village’s residential character and green spaces is first on the list of priorities in her campaign announcement.

Traffic and infrastructure

Her issues page calls for “practical, data-driven” traffic solutions that improve safety and mobility without hurting neighborhood livability. Her announcement also lists infrastructure, drainage and traffic among her priorities.

Budget and Amendment 3

Baez-Wallis told CBS Miami she opposes making immediate cuts if Amendment 3, the statewide property tax measure, passes. Instead she proposed raising local revenue by expanding the business district, which she said would diversify the village’s income. CBS reported that she expects the amendment has a good chance of passing and noted the village had already raised its millage rate this year. She said she would go through expenses line by line instead of cutting public safety or raising taxes further. Her issues page says she would protect the budget “with transparency and accountability.”

Public safety

Her announcement lists support for law enforcement, first responders and public safety programs as a campaign focus. It connects that focus to her emergency-medicine and disaster-response background.

Transparency and engagement

The announcement also lists transparency, accountability and civility in local government, along with more resident input. She said she would be “walking neighborhoods, meeting residents face-to-face, and listening.”

What This Office Does

The Village of Palmetto Bay was incorporated on Sept. 10, 2002. It covers about 8.4 square miles between U.S. 1 and Biscayne Bay, bordered by Pinecrest to the north and Cutler Bay to the south, and had 24,439 residents in the 2020 Census, according to Census figures compiled on Wikipedia. The Village Council has five members: the mayor, the vice mayor and three numbered seats. The mayor is elected villagewide and serves on the council with the other four members. Council agendas also list a village manager, a village attorney and a village clerk. Under the current charter, officials may serve no more than two consecutive terms in the same office, according to Florida Politics.

The next mayor will take office as the village faces a possible revenue loss. If Amendment 3 passes, the village manager estimates Palmetto Bay would lose about $2.2 million, or 8% of revenue, in 2027 and about $3.5 million, or 14%, in 2028, CBS Miami reported. Mayor Cunningham told the station that the current budget is already set, so any changes would come in the next budget cycle.

Voters will also decide six village charter questions, Florida Politics reported:

Public speakers giving only their name and municipality instead of a home address
Requiring voter approval for most sales or leases of village property
Pursuing the U.S. Department of Agriculture property near Southwest 136th Street and 67th Avenue for park use if it becomes available
Electing Council Seats 1, 2 and 3 by single-member districts starting in 2028
Changing term limits and adding a waiting period
Requiring pedestrian, bicycle and golf cart facilities in road projects

The Race

Three candidates qualified for mayor. Former Vice Mayor John DuBois registered for the race but withdrew in June to challenge Miami-Dade County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, Florida Politics reported. Cohen Higgins won that District 8 race outright in the Aug. 18 primary, the South Dade News Leader reported. Palmetto Bay’s municipal races were not on the August ballot.

Tamara Mourino is a small-business owner and former president of the Palmetto Bay Business Association. She is running on preserving the village’s bedroom-community character and green space.
David M. Singer is a CPA, business executive and former Seat 2 councilmember. He is running on fiscal discipline, accountability, public safety and “smart growth.” The South Dade News Leader published his candidate questionnaire on Oct. 2.

Florida Politics reported that Palmetto Bay will hold a runoff on Dec. 1 if one is needed. Around Palmetto Bay held a nonpartisan candidate forum on Oct. 3, WLRN reported.

How to Vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line by 7 p.m. may vote. Early voting in Miami-Dade County runs from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, NBC6 reported. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 22, according to NBC6 and the South Dade News Leader. Completed mail ballots must reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. Sample ballots, polling places and vote-by-mail requests are available from the Miami-Dade 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.