Democrat Eileen Higgins has become the new mayor of Miami with nearly 60% of the vote after defeating Republican Emilio T. González in the runoff election. Despite being officially nonpartisan, the municipal elections were held under the intense shadow of national politics.
Higgins thus becomes the first woman and the first non-Hispanic person to be elected mayor of Miami, as well as the first Democrat elected in nearly 30 years to govern the city, historically dominated by Cuban-American Republicans. This represents a significant setback for President Donald Trump’s party.
The 61-year-old Democrat, a former county commissioner, defeated González, 68, who had received the endorsement of Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and garnered 40.5% of the vote.
“Tonight, the people of Miami made history. Together, we left behind years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city, one marked by ethical, responsible leadership focused on real results for our people,” Higgins said in a statement after the preliminary results were announced.
The race attracted national attention following the Republican attempt to extend to the city of Miami the electoral dominance they consolidated in 2014, when Trump surprisingly won Miami-Dade County by more than 10 points against Kamala Harris.
For Democrats, Higgins’ victory represents a symbolic and strategic boost. The Democratic National Committee had focused its efforts on her campaign, and Senator Rubén Gallego traveled to Miami over the weekend to support her, at a time when the party is seeking to regain ground in Florida after years of setbacks.
The election, however, unfolded against a complex local backdrop. Although Miami-Dade County clearly shifted to Republicans in 2024, some reports indicate that Harris won the Miami mayoral race by a narrow margin, making this contest a key barometer for gauging the Democratic Party’s ability to reconnect with a shifting electorate.
Higgins based his campaign on addressing the rising cost of living, improving municipal services, and strengthening local government transparency.
In contrast, González, a retired Air Force colonel and former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), focused his message on public safety, economic growth, and emergency preparedness, drawing on his military and administrative experience.
Both candidates also reflected opposing views on immigration. González defended the Trump administration’s strict measures, which in recent weeks imposed new restrictions on citizenship applications for Cubans and Venezuelans. Higgins called those policies “immoral.”
The second round was called after neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the November 4 election, when Higgins obtained 36% of the votes and González 19%.
