Miami’s political landscape underwent a seismic shift Tuesday night as Eileen Higgins, a former county commissioner, clinched victory in the city’s mayoral runoff, ending nearly three decades of Republican dominance and becoming the first woman to ever lead the city. The Associated Press and CNN’s Decision Desk called the race for Higgins after she bested city manager Emilio Gonzalez, a Republican candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, by more than 18 percentage points, according to official tallies.
Higgins’s triumph is more than a personal milestone—it signals a jolt of momentum for Democrats both locally and nationally, as the party seeks to build on recent electoral gains ahead of the 2026 midterms. "Tonight, the people of Miami made history," Higgins declared in her victory statement, as reported by The Associated Press. "Together, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption, and opened the door to a new era for our city, one defined by ethical, accountable leadership that delivers real results for the people."
The mayoral seat in Miami is officially nonpartisan, but the contest was anything but apolitical. Republicans had hoped Gonzalez would help them preserve their nearly thirty-year hold on City Hall, bolstered by Trump’s backing and the city’s recent rightward tilt. Democrats, meanwhile, saw a chance to reclaim ground in a region that had slipped from their grasp—especially after Trump won Miami-Dade County in 2024, the first Republican to do so since 1988.
Higgins’s path to victory began in the first round of voting on November 4, 2025, where she led with 35% of the vote compared to Gonzalez’s 19%. That early lead set the stage for Tuesday’s runoff, where she expanded her margin and cemented her place in the city’s history books. With all precincts reporting, Higgins held an insurmountable lead, prompting Gonzalez to concede and pledge his support for her new administration. "I just got off the phone with our new mayor," Gonzalez told supporters, as reported by CNN. "I pledged to support her administration."
For Miami, a city with a large Latino population and a reputation as the gateway to Latin America, the election’s significance stretches well beyond party lines. The mayor’s role, while largely ceremonial, serves as a high-profile ambassador for a city that has found itself at the epicenter of national debates over immigration, housing affordability, and the future of Trump’s presidential legacy.
Immigration was a flashpoint throughout the campaign. Miami is home to the Krome immigrant detention center, which has drawn criticism for overcrowding and harsh conditions. The facility, nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" by critics, has become a symbol of the state’s tough approach to undocumented immigrants—a policy spearheaded by Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. During debates, Gonzalez voiced support for federal law enforcement targeting "people who commit crimes," while Higgins took a starkly different stance. She denounced Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions as "inhumane and cruel" and condemned the detention center’s role in splitting up families. "This is the first year ever where residents have told me they’re afraid, right? I can’t go an hour when I am at community events without meeting someone whose brother, sister, aunt, uncle, was either taken to Alligator Alcatraz or who knows where? They don’t even know where they are," Higgins said, according to CNN.
Affordable housing was another defining issue. Miami is notorious for its sky-high rents and cost of living, making affordability a central theme in the campaign. Higgins advocated for building more affordable housing, vowing to identify city-owned land that could be repurposed for this pressing need and promising to cut unnecessary spending. Her approach echoed national Democratic priorities, focusing on expanding access rather than tax cuts. Gonzalez, on the other hand, backed a DeSantis-supported plan to eliminate property taxes on primary residences—a proposal he argued would provide immediate relief to homeowners. He criticized Higgins’s housing proposals as unrealistic, saying, "My opponent is keen on building, building, building. She wants to put a skyscraper in every corner … then calling it affordable housing, which is a misnomer, because very rarely is it truly affordable," as quoted by CNN.
The election unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle over the future site of Trump’s presidential library. Miami-Dade College, which owns a valuable parcel of downtown land eyed for the project, voted again in December 2025 to cede the property to the library foundation. However, the sale has been temporarily blocked by a judge after an activist sued, alleging the college violated Florida’s open government law. A trial is scheduled for August 2026, leaving the fate of the library—and the city’s downtown development—in limbo.
Higgins’s win is being celebrated as a breakthrough for women in Miami politics. Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, hailed the moment, stating, "I am thrilled for Eileen and cannot think of a better person to shatter Miami’s glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to lead the city in its 129-year history." At 61, Higgins brings experience from her tenure as a county commissioner and a campaign that emphasized ethical leadership, transparency, and practical solutions to the city’s most urgent problems.
The race also reflects shifting political winds in Florida. Miami-Dade County, long a Democratic stronghold, swung Republican in 2024, with Trump’s victory there marking a dramatic reversal from his 30-point loss to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Analysts point to factors such as concerns over rising prices and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies as motivating forces for voters. Yet, Higgins’s win suggests a growing appetite for change—even in places where Republicans have recently made inroads.
Nationally, Democrats are seizing on the Miami result as evidence of renewed momentum. The party has already celebrated strong performances in November’s off-year elections and a special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, where they managed to shrink Trump’s 2024 margin to single digits. "A Higgins win will add even more enthusiasm to the party right before turning the calendar to 2026 and the midterms," CNN reported.
While Miami’s mayor holds little formal power compared to the mayor of Miami-Dade County—currently Democrat Daniella Levine Cava—the position carries symbolic weight and offers a platform to shape the city’s image on the national stage. Outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez had even attempted to parlay the role into a 2023 presidential campaign, though his bid ended quickly.
In a city renowned for its diversity, dynamism, and global profile, Higgins’s election signals a new chapter. She faces immediate challenges: navigating the legal wrangling over the Trump library, addressing housing affordability, and restoring trust among immigrant communities. But for now, Democrats are savoring a rare victory in Florida—and Miami is poised to see what comes next under its historic new leadership.
