Surfside Town Commissioner Ruben A. Coto is on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot for Florida lieutenant governor. He is running as the running mate of Charles Burkett, a former Surfside mayor seeking the governor's office without a major-party affiliation.

Coto filed and qualified for the race on Aug. 26, 2026, according to his filing with the Florida Division of Elections. His candidacy status is listed as "Running Mate." In Florida, the lieutenant governor runs on a joint ticket with the gubernatorial candidate rather than in a separate race. Voters will choose a governor-lieutenant governor pair together on the ballot.

The FL Voters Guide describes Coto as a current Surfside town commissioner and businessman. The Aventura Beacon recently profiled Burkett's gubernatorial campaign.

Candidate information

  • Name: Ruben A. Coto
  • Party: No Party Affiliation
  • Office sought: Florida lieutenant governor
  • Running mate: Charles Burkett (gubernatorial candidate, No Party Affiliation)
  • Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
  • Residence: Surfside, FL

Experience and public service

Coto won a seat on the Surfside Town Commission in the March 19, 2024, general municipal election, according to certified election results from the Town of Surfside. The FL Voters Guide lists him as a sitting Surfside commissioner. He resides in Surfside, according to his Division of Elections filing.

Other candidates

The Burkett-Coto ticket is one of several competing for the governor and lieutenant governor offices on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election ballot. The field includes candidates from three parties and multiple independents, according to BallotReady election data:

  • Bryan Avila (Republican)
  • Gwen Graham (Democratic)
  • Nicole Skelly (Libertarian)
  • Benjiman Rojas (No Party Affiliation)
  • Joe Van Vactor (No Party Affiliation)
  • Juan Santana (No Party Affiliation)
  • Rachel Rodriguez (No Party Affiliation)

BallotReady lists some of these candidates under the label "No Party Preference." The Florida Division of Elections uses the designation "No Party Affiliation" for candidates without a major-party registration.

The Aventura Beacon's candidate profiles are based on publicly available records and candidate-supplied information. No issue positions or campaign platform details were available for this candidate at the time of publication.