Eileen Higgins, a Democrat and former Miami-Dade County commissioner, won the Miami mayoral runoff on Tuesday in what observers are calling one of the most significant political upsets in Florida in years. Her victory ends a decades-long Republican hold on the mayor’s office and signals renewed Democratic energy in a state where the GOP has recently dominated elections.
Higgins, 61, defeated Republican Emilio González, a former Miami city manager, despite Republicans pouring political resources and endorsements into the race. Former President Donald Trump publicly backed González twice on Truth Social, though he misspelled the candidate’s name in both posts. The race, officially nonpartisan, became deeply polarized as national issues — especially immigration — shaped the campaign’s tone.
Miami-Dade County shifted dramatically toward Republicans in the 2024 presidential election, with Trump becoming the first GOP presidential candidate to carry the county since 1988. But the trend reversed sharply this week, with Higgins becoming the first Democrat elected mayor of Miami in 30 years. She earned 36% of the vote in the initial round and ultimately outperformed expectations in the runoff, leading González by roughly 19 percentage points according to preliminary tallies.
A central theme of Higgins’s campaign was opposition to Trump’s immigration policies, which she argued were harmful to Miami’s large immigrant community. She criticized Trump’s support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention facility and his moves to limit protections for immigrant groups through TPS and humanitarian parole rollbacks. Miami’s population is 57% foreign-born, according to the 2024 census, and Higgins framed the election as a referendum on how immigrant residents should be treated.
“He and I have very different points of view on how we should treat our residents,” Higgins told El País, emphasizing that Miami’s immigrant identity is central to its cultural and economic strength.
Her win resonates nationally as Democrats celebrate a series of electoral victories across the country in 2025. Party leaders framed the Miami race as a bellwether, evidence that voter frustration with Trump’s second-term policies — particularly on immigration and affordability — is driving renewed Democratic engagement.
Local Democratic officials credited a robust ground effort, including more than 300,000 voter outreach calls, for mobilizing support. Laura Kelley, chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, said the victory reflects a backlash to rising housing costs, insurance premiums, economic pressures, and concerns about immigration enforcement. She described the outcome as validation of months spent rebuilding grassroots infrastructure after years of Republican gains in voter registration.
Democrats also highlighted how local issues helped shift voter sentiment. Miami residents have faced surging insurance rates, unaffordable housing, and rising living costs. Kelley noted that immigration enforcement, economic strain, and infrastructure issues “are extremely local” and heavily influenced the mayoral race’s outcome.
Higgins’s victory is symbolically significant beyond party lines. She will become the first woman to lead the city and the first non-Hispanic mayor in nearly three decades. The last Democratic mayor was Xavier Suarez, elected in 1997, who is the father of outgoing Republican mayor Francis Suarez.
Her win underscores shifting political dynamics in Miami and Miami-Dade County, areas once seen as emblematic of Florida’s rightward drift. While it is too early to determine whether the race marks a broader reversal of Republican momentum statewide, it demonstrates that Democrats remain competitive in urban centers and can build winning coalitions around immigration, community identity, and affordability concerns.
Pros
- Symbolic Milestone for Representation
Higgins becomes Miami’s first woman mayor and the first Democrat in 30 years to hold the office. - Reinvigorated Democratic Ground Game
The race reflects successful grassroots organizing and voter mobilization. - Strong Resonance on Local Issues
Higgins connected effectively with voters on immigration, housing affordability, and economic concerns.
Cons
- Potential Political Polarization
Highly nationalized campaign messaging may deepen partisan divisions in local governance. - Uncertain Long-Term Realignment
One election does not necessarily signal a durable shift away from recent Florida GOP dominance. - Challenge of Governing a Diverse City
Miami’s varied constituencies may create pressure to deliver quickly on campaign promises.
Future Projections
Short-Term:
- Higgins will likely prioritize immigrant protections, affordability programs, and municipal responses to economic pressures.
- Republicans may intensify outreach in Miami to prevent broader erosion of support.
Medium-Term:
- The race may influence Florida’s 2026 midterms, especially in South Florida.
- Democratic organizers could attempt to replicate Miami’s grassroots playbook in other urban areas.
Long-Term:
- Miami’s demographic trends may continue to reshape political alignments, especially if immigration remains a defining issue.
- The win could strengthen Democratic messaging nationally about resistance to Trump-era policies.
References & Further Reading
The Guardian – Coverage of Eileen Higgins’s mayoral win
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/
Reuters – Miami election results and demographic context
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/
Associated Press – National implications of Miami’s mayoral race
https://apnews.com/
CBS News – Interview with DNC officials on the importance of the race
https://www.cbsnews.com/
El País – Higgins’s remarks on immigration and Miami’s identity
https://elpais.com/
Miami Herald – Local analysis of Democratic organizing in South Florida
https://www.miamiherald.com/
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