Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayoral runoff election on Tuesday — the first Democrat mayor elected in 30 years.
Higgins won 59 percent of the vote in a crowded race that included 13 candidates. Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez came in second with just 41 percent of the vote.
“Our city chose a new direction,” Higgins told a crowd of supporters. “You chose competence over chaos, results over excuses, and a city government that finally works for you.”
“While the race was officially nonpartisan, Higgins had the backing of prominent Democrats, while Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Trump, endorsed Gonzalez,” reported CBS News. “Out of 175,692 registered voters, 37,496 cast ballots on Tuesday, a turnout of 21.3%, according to official records.”
Higgins ran on issues such as affordable housing and pledged to use city land to build new housing for working families. She also criticized the Trump administration’s current enforcement of immigration law, calling it “inhumane and cruel,” though she did pledge to work with the administration on issues that they could agree on.
“No more endless delays for families trying to fix a home or small business trying to open,” Higgins said. “We will cut red tape, repair what’s broken, and modernize City Hall. We will confront the affordability crisis with the urgency Miami families need. We will make our streets safer by supporting law enforcement and strengthening community partnerships. We will protect Biscayne Bay.”
“I just spoke with my opponent Emilio Gonzalez, a good man that I’ve known for many, many years and genuinely respect,” Higgins said. “He cares about our community; that is what unites us.”
As noted by WLRN, outgoing Mayor Francis X. Suarez, who briefly ran for president in 2024, is term-limited.
“Suarez and three of the five city commissioners tried to postpone the mayoral election to November 2026, arguing that the move would save money and improve turnout. It would also have given Suarez and some other local elected officials an extra year in office,” noted the outlet
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