Winner Announced In Miami Mayoral Race

Democrats finally cracked Miami’s long-running GOP hold on City Hall, ending nearly three decades of defeats in the city that bills itself as America’s “Gateway to Latin America.”

Eileen Higgins, a former county commissioner, beat Republican Emilio Gonzalez in Tuesday’s mayoral runoff, the AP reported. The contest was officially nonpartisan, but nobody in Miami treated it that way. Both parties pumped in cash and manpower, turning the race into a high-profile proxy fight.

Gonzalez had the full weight of the GOP behind him. President Donald Trump endorsed him early, reminding supporters over the weekend that Miami’s mayoral race “is a big and important race” and to “Vote for Republican Gonzalez.” The Republican Party of Florida followed with its own push to boost the former city manager, who once served on Trump’s Homeland Security transition team.

Democrats saw an opening after their blowout 2025 wins and last week’s double-digit overperformance in a red-leaning Tennessee congressional special election. National groups, including the Democratic National Committee, jumped in. DNC Chair Ken Martin told Fox News Digital that after last week’s “historic overperformance in Tennessee and the record Democratic momentum across the country this year,” the committee was now “laser focused” on Miami’s mayoral runoff.

Higgins notched a milestone as the first woman ever elected mayor of Miami. Her win gave Democrats another talking point in a state that has turned sharply right. “Tonight’s result is yet another warning sign to Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is raising costs for working families across the country,” Martin claimed Tuesday night.

Florida was once the crown jewel of swing states, but the GOP’s grip has tightened. Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election by nearly 20 points in 2022, and Trump carried the state by 13 points in last year’s presidential race.

Miami, though, remains the exception. Trump narrowly lost the city last year even as he cruised to an 11-point win across Miami-Dade County as a whole.

Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>