Eileen Higgins wins Miami election and returns Democrats to power after 30 years

Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayoral election. The former Miami-Dade County Commission member defeated Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a candidate backed by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Higgins will thus become the city's first Democratic mayor in thirty years.

With 100% of the votes counted, Higgins received 59% against 40% for Gonzalez. It was the first runoff in the city since 2001. The results were dramatically different from 2021, when Republican Francis Suarez won with 78% of the vote in his re-election bid.

"Tonight, the people of Miami made history. 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," Higgins said in a statement after her victory was announced.

Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), celebrated Higgins' win via a statement, describing it as "proof of what Democrats can accomplish when we organize and compete everywhere, including Miami."

"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," he added.

In the 2024 presidential election, the city leaned narrowly toward Kamala Harris, but Trump won Miami-Dade County, which includes the city of Miami. The race was nationalized by many high-profile Democrats, who even traveled to Miami to campaign for Higgins. Among them were Rahm Emanuel, Pete Buttigieg and Ruben Gallego.

Higgins' victory also implies an additional boost for the Democrats, who were already coming off important victories in New Jersey, Virginia and Georgia. In addition, the city of Miami has a high Hispanic representation, a group with which President Trump made historic gains for the Republican Party during the last election cycle.