Miami Falls To Democrats In Historic Mayoral Shift

A Democrat won the Miami mayoral race for the first time in nearly 30 years, beating the Trump-backed Republican by almost 20 points. 

Democrat Eileen Higgins defeated GOP challenger Emilio Gonzalez in a run-off election on Tuesday, winning 59% of the vote to her opponent’s 41%. Higgins, a 61-year-old former county commissioner, is the first Democrat to win the mayoral race in Miami since 1997 and the first woman ever elected to lead the city.

“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,” she said.

Higgins said her victory was partly due to Miami residents being “done” with “dehumanizing and cruel” rhetoric against migrants. Throughout the campaign, she has been critical of Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. 

While officially a non-partisan election, Gonzalez was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rahm Emanuel, a former Obama chief of staff, campaigned in support of Higgins. 

Higgins’ campaign page said that as mayor, she would address the “permitting process to get our government moving for small businesses and homeowners, protect tax dollars, and make City Hall work for us by building safer neighborhoods and a more affordable future.”

Gonzalez congratulated Higgins on Tuesday evening and wished her the best as she leads the city. 

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“Grateful beyond words for the thousands of Miami residents who stood with us for integrity, safety, and putting families first,” Gonzalez said. “While this election didn’t end the way we hoped, our fight for accountability, transparency, and a city that works for residents, not insiders, continues. May God bless Miami and our future.”

Democrats said that Higgins’ victory was a positive sign for their party. 

“Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins’ win is a testament to what we can accomplish when we organize and compete everywhere,” Democrat National Committee Chair Ken Martin said on X. “Democrats have now flipped a seat that was in Republicans’ hands for nearly 30 years.”

Democrats have 8,000 more registered voters in the city, which backed former Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump during the 2024 presidential election. As a whole, the state of Florida has shifted to the right in recent years, with Trump defeating Harris by more than 13 points. 

The city’s current mayor, Republican Francis Suarez, was term-limited.