Miami voters on Tuesday elected Democrat Eileen Higgins as mayor, ending a nearly three-decade dry spell for her party after she defeated a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump in the predominantly Hispanic city.<\/p>\n
While the election was officially nonpartisan, the race took on national significance, pitting Higgins against Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a former Miami city manager, in a contest closely watched by both parties.<\/p>\n list of 1 item<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n The win comes in the wake of recent electoral success achieved by the Democratic Party ahead of next year\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n Here is what we know:<\/p>\n Higgins led Republican Gonzalez 59 percent to 41 percent on Tuesday night, according to preliminary results from the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office. She is the first woman ever elected as mayor in the city.<\/p>\n She won Tuesday\u2019s run-off after leading the first round of voting on November 4 with 35 percent of the vote to Gonzalez\u2019s 19 percent.<\/p>\n \u201cTonight, the people of Miami made history,\u201d Higgins said in a statement. \u201cTogether, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city.\u201d<\/p>\n Higgins\u2019 victory adds to a run of recent Democratic wins, including races in New Jersey and Virginia, as the party looks towards the 2026 midterms. That trend continued with strong results in November\u2019s off-year elections and a solid showing in this month\u2019s special House race in Tennessee.<\/p>\n While Miami\u2019s mayor wields limited formal power, the role is highly symbolic, representing a city with a large Latino population at the centre of national immigration debates.<\/p>\n Home to roughly half a million residents, Miami is Florida\u2019s second-most populous city after Jacksonville. In recent election cycles, it has shifted towards Republicans, making a Democratic win stand out even more. Trump had won Miami-Dade County in the 2024 presidential election against her Democratic rival Kamala Harris.<\/p>\n Hispanic or Latino residents make up roughly 70 percent of Miami\u2019s population. In Miami-Dade County overall, about<\/a> 69\u201370 percent of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino \u2013 a demographic majority that significantly shapes the region\u2019s cultural and political identity.<\/p>\n Miami Mayor <\/p>\n Fully reported unofficial results: \u2b05\ufe0f 19% swing left from the 2024 presidential election pic.twitter.com\/nwnrCnn7Gr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 VoteHub (@VoteHub) December 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Immigration was a key issue in Higgins\u2019 campaign.<\/p>\n In Miami, she often talked about Donald Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown, saying she heard from residents who were worried about family members being detained. She described the election as a referendum on the president\u2019s policies, which have caused concerns about due process.<\/p>\n More than 200,000 people have been arrested since Trump launched the crackdown on migrants in January. At least 75,000 people, who were arrested as part of Trump\u2019s fight against gang members and criminals, had no criminal records, according to new data. He has deported hundreds of migrants and halted asylum and green card applications.<\/p>\n The Trump administration had also ordered the arrest of several students who participated in protests against Israel\u2019s genocidal war on Gaza. Several of them have since been released by the courts.<\/p>\n The difference between the candidates was clear during a debate last month. Higgins called immigration enforcement in Miami \u201ccruel and inhumane\u201d and criticised the detention centre opened by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, commonly known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d.<\/p>\n In that same debate, her opponent, Gonzalez, said he supported federal law enforcement rounding up \u201cpeople who commit crimes\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI support putting down migrant criminals, I cannot in good conscience fight with the federal government and defend a rapist or a murderer,\u201d Gonzalez added.<\/p>\n Higgins repeated her message in an interview with El Pais this week,<\/a> drawing a sharp contrast with Trump\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n \u201cHe and I have very different points of view on how we should treat our residents, many of whom are immigrants,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is the strength of this community. We are an immigrant-based place. That\u2019s our uniqueness. That\u2019s what makes us special.\u201d<\/p>\n Affordability was also a major issue in the race. Higgins focused her campaign on local concerns such as housing costs, while Gonzalez campaigned on repealing Miami\u2019s homestead property tax and streamlining business permits.<\/p>\n \u201cMy opponent is keen on building, building, building,\u201d Gonzalez told CNN<\/a>. \u201cShe wants to put a skyscraper in every corner \u2026 then calling it affordable housing, which is a misnomer, because very rarely is it truly affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n During a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Trump raised the issue of affordability, which Democrats have highlighted. He blamed high prices on his predecessor, Joe Biden.<\/p>\n The cost of living has been on the election campaign agenda in recent gubernatorial and mayoral elections in which Democrats have made gains, including the much-publicised New York mayoral election. The Democratic wins show that the issue has resonated with voters.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8Miami polls are now OPEN!\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n Time to VOTE and bring a new era of good governance, true affordability, and putting families first over special interests.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go, Miami! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf34 pic.twitter.com\/AHVCIohCFj<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Emilio T. Gonzalez for Mayor of Miami (@Emilioformiami) December 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Higgins is Miami\u2019s first non-Hispanic mayor in nearly three decades. Born in Ohio and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico and later completed an MBA at Cornell University.<\/p>\n Before becoming mayor, Higgins represented a politically conservative district that includes Little Havana, the city\u2019s well-known Cuban enclave.<\/p>\n She has embraced the nickname \u201cLa Gringa,\u201d a term commonly used in Spanish to refer to white Americans.<\/p>\n Her professional background spans international development and consulting, with a focus on infrastructure and transportation projects across Latin America. She later served as Peace Corps country director in Belize and went on to work as a foreign service officer for the United States Department of State, where her portfolio included diplomatic and economic development efforts in countries such as Mexico and South Africa.<\/p>\n After her government service, Higgins returned to the private sector before eventually entering local politics in Miami.<\/p>\n With her runoff victory tonight, Eileen Higgins will be Miami’s next mayor\u2014the first woman in the city\u2019s history and the first Democrat in nearly 30 years elected to the office.<\/p>\n Congrats, Mayor-elect! pic.twitter.com\/lSyZ087Xvc<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Democrats (@TheDemocrats) December 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
What were the final results of the Miami election?<\/h2>\n
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\ud83d\udd35 Eileen Higgins \u2013 21,550 (59.3%)
\ud83d\udd34 Emilio Gonzalez \u2013 14,799 (40.7%)<\/p>\nWhat are some of the key issues of this campaign?<\/h2>\n
![\"Republican](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25342819698069-1765314765.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
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Who is Eileen Higgins?<\/h2>\n
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