Eileen Higgins ends Miami’s 30-year Democratic dry spell with historic mayoral win

MIAMI, FLORIDA: The city of Miami has witnessed a major political shift as longtime Republican dominance in City Hall comes to an end.

In a decisive runoff, Democrat Eileen Higgins won the mayoral race, delivering her party its first mayoral victory in more than three decades. Her win is being viewed as a fresh wave of momentum for Democrats in Miami.

Eileen Higgins wins Miami mayoral race in historic Democratic breakthrough

Higgins, formerly a Miami-Dade County Commissioner, won the mayoral runoff with 59% of the vote, defeating former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, who received nearly 41%, according to official results.

Although the election was officially nonpartisan, the race became a clear ideological showdown. Higgins had the backing of prominent Democrats, while Gonzalez was endorsed by major Republicans, including Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump. 

After her win, Higgins told supporters, “Our city chose a new direction. You chose competence over chaos, results over excuses and a city government that finally works for you.”

Voter engagement was modest: out of 175,692 registered voters, 37,496 cast ballots, marking a 21.3% turnout.

Higgins’ campaign emphasized key issues such as immigration, housing affordability, flooding, and city growth, while also advocating for a shift in leadership tone at City Hall. 

Eileen Higgins proposes sweeping reforms

As a former County Commissioner, Eileen Higgins campaigned on restoring public trust and implementing collaborative leadership.

She pledged to use city-owned land for affordable housing for working families, criticized unchecked growth without improved services, and promised regulatory changes, including permitting permeable pavement, speeding up park construction to improve drainage, and modernizing city spending and oversight.

Higgins also proposed expanding the City Commission from five to nine members to improve representation for underrepresented communities. On immigration enforcement, she criticized recent measures in Miami as “inhumane and cruel,” indicating she would oppose policies she viewed as unjust.

At her victory celebration, Higgins framed the moment not just as a milestone but as the beginning of the work ahead. “No more endless delays for families trying to fix a home or small business trying to open,” she said. She added, “We will cut red tape, repair what’s broken and modernize City Hall.”

Prominent local figures joined in celebrating the historic moment, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Many hailed the result as a turning point for representation, noting that Miami had never before elected a woman mayor.

Outgoing candidate Emilio Gonzalez called Higgins to concede and acknowledged that his July 2025 lawsuit, which successfully challenged the city’s postponement of the mayoral election, played a role in ensuring the race proceeded this year.