Tomás Regalado (American politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomás Regalado
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| 42nd Mayor of Miami | |
| In office November 11, 2009 – November 7, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Manny Diaz |
| Succeeded by | Francis Suarez |
| Member of the Miami City Commission from the 4th district |
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| In office November 1996 – November 2009 |
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| Succeeded by | Francis Suarez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tomás Pedro Regalado y Valdez
May 24, 1947 Havana, Cuba |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Raquel Ferreiro
(m. 1972; died 2008)Ana Cristina Carrodeguas
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
Tomás Pedro Regalado y Valdez, born on May 24, 1947, is a politician from Cuba and the United States. He used to be a journalist on TV and radio. He served as the Mayor of Miami, Florida, from 2009 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Before becoming mayor, he was a news director for Radio Mambí WAQI. He also worked as a reporter for Univisión. Regalado was chosen as mayor on November 3, 2009, and officially started his job on November 11.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tomás Pedro Regalado was born in Havana, Cuba, on May 24, 1947. He was the first child of Tomás Regalado Molina and Carmen Rita Váldez de Regalado. His father was a lawyer and journalist. He was also a political prisoner in Cuba.
When Tomás was 14, in April 1962, he and his younger brother Marcos flew to Miami. They were part of a program called Operation Peter Pan. This program helped Cuban children come to the U.S. The brothers lived in a boys' camp for several months. Later, their aunt, Silvia Váldez, took them in. Their mother joined them in Miami a year later.
In Miami, Tomás went to Immaculata-Lasalle High School. He also studied journalism at the University of Miami Koubek Center.
Journalism Career
Tomás Regalado started his career as a reporter at WFAB, a radio station. He quickly became an assistant producer. At 21, he joined WCKT (now WSVN), an NBC channel. There, he worked as a Latin American news editor and hosted a show called Tele-Amigo. After two years, he went back to WFAB as a news producer and anchor.
In 1974, Regalado became a reporter for WLTV Channel 23. But in 1977, he returned to radio as the news director for WFAB. In 1970, Regalado became the station's first international news correspondent. He traveled to Africa to cover civil wars in Angola and Mozambique. He also reported on the Soweto uprising in South Africa.
Regalado interviewed U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. In 1983, he became the first Cuban American to join the White House Press Corps. As part of this group, he traveled with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. He went on their trips to other countries and met leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev. He also covered presidential campaigns.
In 1986, Regalado was approved for NASA's Journalist in Space Program. However, the program was canceled after the Challenger explosion. While working in radio, he also wrote a weekly column for El Miami Herald. He covered conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador. He has visited more than 78 countries. He also spoke at the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Switzerland about human rights issues in Cuba.
In June 2018, Regalado became the Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB).
Political Career
Miami Commissioner (1996–2009)
On September 3, 1996, Tomás Regalado was elected as a city commissioner. He won a special election for the seat. This happened when the city of Miami was facing a financial crisis. He was against laying off police officers during this time.
While serving as commissioner, he continued his work in radio. He was a daily host and commentator on WWFE la Poderosa. He also hosted a news program on TeleMiami. Regalado was re-elected as commissioner in 1999, 2003, and 2007.
Mayor of Miami (2009–2017)
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On November 3, 2009, Regalado was elected the 42nd Mayor of Miami. He won with 72% of the votes. He had promised to lower his salary by $50,000 and reduce his pension by 25%.
His main goals as mayor were to keep taxes low, make the government smaller, fix roads, and improve garbage collection. Some of his biggest achievements include balancing the city's budget three times. He also made agreements with labor unions.
Regalado was re-elected for a second term in 2013. He won with 78% of the votes. He gained national attention for talking to President Donald Trump about sea level rise. Before leaving office, he helped pass a bond (a way to borrow money for projects) to deal with sea level rise. This bond received a lot of support from voters.
Personal Life
Tomás Regalado married Raquel Ferreiro, a fellow radio commentator, in 1972. They were married for 37 years until Raquel passed away in 2008. Since 2015, Regalado has been married to Ana Cristina Carrodeguas.
Regalado's father, Tomás Regalado Molina, was a political prisoner in Cuba. He was released from prison in 1979. Regalado Sr. later worked with his son in radio and wrote for newspapers. He passed away in 1995. Tomás's mother, Carmen Rita, died in 1998.
Tomás Regalado has three children:
- His oldest son, Tomás N. Regalado, also known as Tommy, works at TV Marti. He ran for City Council in 2017 but was not elected.
- His daughter, Raquel Regalado, is a lawyer. She was a member of the Miami-Dade County Public School Board for six years. She also ran for Mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2016. She currently serves on the Miami-Dade County Commission.
- His youngest son, José, has worked in adventure television. As of 2017, he works as a legislative aide for a Miami Commissioner.
Images for kids
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Tomás Pedro Regalado
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Tomás Regalado, as Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, at a meeting in Washington, D.C.
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Tomás Regalado speaks at the grand opening of an affordable housing community in Miami.
See also
In Spanish: Tomás Pedro Regalado para niños
