Miami voters on Tuesday elected Eileen Higgins as the city’s next mayor, ending nearly three decades of Republican control and marking a rare Democratic breakthrough in one of Florida’s most politically watched cities. Higgins, a county commissioner, defeated former city manager Emilio González by roughly 59 percent to 41 percent, according to preliminary results.
Miami had not elected a Democrat to the post since 1997, and the runoff, the city’s first since 2001, drew an unusual level of national attention for a formally nonpartisan contest. Higgins also became the first ever woman to be elected mayor of Miami.
Higgins framed the result as a response to both local concerns and a broader frustration and fear with political rhetoric in the country. “We are facing rhetoric from elected officials that is so dehumanizing and cruel, especially against immigrant populations,” she told the Associated Press after her victory speech. “The residents of Miami were ready to be done with that.”
In the campaign’s final stretch, González received support from prominent statewide and national figures. President Donald Trump endorsed him in a lengthy Truth Social post that emphasized his record in federal immigration leadership and promised he would “fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations… Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
“Emilio T. Gonzales has my Complete and Total Endorsement. MIAMI: Early Voting is December 5th through December 7th, and Election Day is December 9th. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR EMILIO — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN,” Trump wrote. The president carried Miami-Dade County by 11 points in 2024, though his opponent Kamala Harris narrowly won the city of Miami.
Despite the national spotlights, Higgins centered her campaign on local issues such as housing affordability, transit, climate resilience, and government transparency. Her margin in the runoff suggests those themes resonated after she led a 13-candidate field in November’s first round.
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Political observers noted that Miami’s mayor has relatively limited executive power, and that a single municipal race does not necessarily signal broader political realignment. Still, the rarity of the outcome stood out in a city where Republicans have dominated municipal leadership for nearly 30 years.
The Miami result comes amid a broader wave of Democratic success in 2025 off-year races, including the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor. In November, Democrats won decisive gubernatorial victories in Virginia and in New Jersey. Meanwhile, in a special House election in Tennessee, Democrats significantly narrowed a deep-red district’s margin compared with 2024.
National Democrats were quick to highlight the symbolic significance and emphasize what it might mean for November’s midterms. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the result on X, posting: “No Democrat has been elected Mayor of Miami in nearly 30 years. Until tonight. Congratulations to Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins on crushing Donald Trump’s candidate! We are coming for the three South Florida Republicans next.”
