MIAMI -- Voters went to the polls Tuesday in many South Florida cities, including Miami, where citizens chose Tomas Regalado by a wide margin.

Regalado won the Miami mayoral race -- beating out Joe Sanchez -- but he faces a difficult task. The new mayor must cut salaries, pensions and benefits for hundreds of city workers while maintaining city services.

Only a trickle of voters showed up to City Hall Precinct 549 Tuesday afternoon, but those who showed up were committed.

"I voted for Tomas Regalado because I'm not really thrilled with the tunnel or the stadium. There's too many other things that need fixing before that," said voter Michael Marmesh.

"Joe Sanchez because I feel between the two mayoral candidates that he's the one more likely to implement Miami 21," said voter Melissa Meyer.

Sanchez was seen as the more pro-growth candidate, cut in the same mold as current Mayor Manny Diaz, who is term-limited.

"Our message was one of prosperity, one that we're going to address the issues that we need to address. I don't need to tell you the crisis that we're faced with in the city with the salaries, the generous salaries that we're paying and the pension crisis that we're in," Sanchez said.

Regalado, a TV and radio personality in Miami and a city commissioner for 13 years, was the clear frontrunner.

"I never want to call it too early. I really don't," Regalado said. "We have been working as if we're 50 points behind and we will continue to campaign today until 7:01."

Regalado greeted voters outside of the Christian Church in Miami, where he voted for himself.

"I think it's been a good campaign," he said.

Sanchez brought his wife and children to Simpson Park in Miami Tuesday morning, where he cast a vote in his name. Sanchez shook the hands of supporters after walking out of the polling site.

The current city commission chair told Local 10's Terrell Forney that the race has been an uphill battle.

"I don't have the resources my opponent had and I certainly didn't have the resources he had with all the unions backing my opponent," Regalado said. "It's been a family campaign among friends and people believing in a candidate who has a vision to get the city moving forward."

Both candidates held individual watch parties as the results came in Tuesday night.

Three Miami City Commission seats also were up for grabs. Seven candidates are on the District 3 commission ballot, while four candidates are battling for the District 4 seat, making runoffs likely.