Democrat Eileen Higgins has pulled off a rare blue victory in Florida, defeating Trump-endorsed Republican Emilio Gonzalez and ending nearly three decades of Democratic losses in Miami. Her win gives the party a symbolic boost heading into the 2026 midterms, and puts a Democrat at the helm of one of the country’s most high-profile Hispanic-majority cities.
“Tonight, the people of Miami made history,” Higgins said after results dropped Tuesday evening.
“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, 61, becomes the first woman to lead Miami. She leaned heavily into concerns over Trump’s immigration crackdown during the campaign, saying she met residents afraid their relatives could be detained. Officially a nonpartisan race in name only, she beat Gonzalez, a former city manager, who conceded and said he had called to congratulate her.
“I just got off the phone with our new mayor,” he told supporters. “I pledged to support her administration.”
Before Election Day, she captured the mood bluntly:
“We’re living in the state of Florida, where people are building cages for our residents rather than affordable housing for them.”
The win lands at a tense moment for Republicans in Florida, where Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan communities have long leaned conservative. GOP operatives have benefited from comparisons between progressive Democrats and the governments many residents fled, but frustration has been building after Democratic gains in New Jersey, Virginia and now Miami, where economic pressure and immigration policies are reshaping voter behavior.
Miami’s mayoral role is largely ceremonial, yet Higgins says she’ll treat it as a full-time job. Her agenda includes converting public land into affordable housing and cracking down on wasteful spending.
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