Florida’s Miami, traditionally a red state, has opted for a Democratic candidate to assume the mayoral office. Former County Commissioner Eileen Higgins has emerged victorious in the election, defeating President Donald Trump’s Republican candidate, Emilio González.
This election marks the first time in nearly thirty years that a Democrat has secured the top position in Miami. Although Florida has consistently leaned red, Miami’s support for Democrats is bolstered by its significant immigrant communities.
With Zohran Mamdani’s success in New York, Higgins’ triumph in Miami, and various other blue victories across different states, Trump’s Republican Party is facing uncertain challenges as the 2026 Midterm elections approach.
Higgins achieves a historic victory
Higgins, aged 61, will become the first woman to lead the city of Miami. In a city with a Hispanic majority, she frequently addressed Trump’s immigration policies, noting that many residents were anxious about the potential detention of their family members.
Despite the race being officially nonpartisan, she campaigned proudly as a Democrat and defeated Trump-endorsed candidate Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager, who later called Higgins to express his congratulations.
“We are confronted with rhetoric from elected officials that is profoundly dehumanizing and cruel, particularly towards immigrant communities,” Higgins stated to The Associated Press following her victory speech. “The people of Miami were ready to move past that.”
With nearly all votes tallied on Tuesday, Higgins led her Republican opponent by approximately 19 percentage points.
Significance of the outcome
As the midterms draw near, Republicans are focused on leveraging the momentum from 2024 to maintain control of both Congressional chambers, while Democrats will be on the lookout for any chances to contest that majority.
Miami is anticipated to remain a highly competitive region. The city narrowly supported former Vice President Kamala Harris by a mere one point in 2024, even as Miami-Dade County leaned red for Trump.
As the second-largest city in Florida, which is also highly diverse, Democrats cannot overlook the mayoral race as they might in other areas, especially considering Trump’s endorsement of Gonzalez.
