Karen Baez-Wallis, a longtime Palmetto Bay resident and hospital administrator, is running for village mayor in the Nov. 3 general election.

Baez-Wallis registered as a candidate on Jan. 27 and qualified on Aug. 11, according to the Village of Palmetto Bay's registered candidates list. The nonpartisan race also includes David M. Singer and Tamara Mourino, according to BallotReady.

Baez-Wallis said she is running on a platform centered on public safety, transparency and protecting quality of life for residents, according to Miami's Community Newspapers. Her campaign priorities include supporting law enforcement and first responders, promoting accountability and civility in local government, and investing in infrastructure, drainage and traffic solutions, she said.

Candidate information

  • Name: Karen Baez-Wallis
  • Race: Palmetto Bay Village Mayor
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Residence: Palmetto Bay, where she said she and her family have raised their children

Experience and public service

Baez-Wallis built a career in emergency medicine and hospital administration spanning more than two decades.

She began as a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland from 1998 to 2004, according to BallotReady. A Village of Palmetto Bay feature on women in the village's history noted she gained experience during and after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including treating anthrax-exposed patients.

She worked as a registered nurse at Jackson Health System from 2004 to 2011, according to BallotReady. She then served as clinical educator at Baptist Health South Florida from 2011 to 2014 and managed the patient safety simulation lab there from 2014 to 2016.

Baez-Wallis served as director of the trauma program at Jackson Health System from 2016 to 2018, then as service line director of emergency and trauma services from 2018 to 2022, according to BallotReady. The Village of Palmetto Bay feature identified her as director of emergency/trauma services at Jackson South Medical Center.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baez-Wallis organized the Jackson Health South Employee Vaccination Program, according to the village feature. The model was later mirrored during the community vaccination program.

Baez-Wallis said she helped lead the development of a new trauma center and pediatric emergency department in South Florida and has worked closely with public safety partners, including EMS and disaster response teams. She said she is a deployable member of the National Disaster Medical System.

She said she is a lifetime Girl Scout and has served as both a Cub Scout leader and Girl Scout leader.

On the issues

Overdevelopment and quality of life: Baez-Wallis said the most pressing issue facing Palmetto Bay is protecting quality of life. "Overdevelopment, traffic and infrastructure are interconnected, and every decision must consider its impact on our residents," she told the Miami Herald. She said she would preserve neighborhoods, stand firm against overdevelopment, address traffic and bring transparency and accountability to Village Hall.

Fiscal responsibility and executive leadership: Baez-Wallis told the Miami Herald she brings more than 30 years of healthcare leadership, including overseeing complex operations, multimillion-dollar budgets, large teams and crisis response. She said her experience as a longtime resident and community advocate gives her firsthand knowledge of the community's needs.

Public safety and government transparency: Baez-Wallis said her campaign priorities include supporting law enforcement, first responders and public safety initiatives, as well as promoting transparency, accountability and civility in local government.