Democratic candidate Eileen Higgins will become the next mayor of Miami, Florida, after winning Tuesday’s runoff election.
Higgins, whose victory broke the Democratic Party’s 28-year losing streak in seeking the Miami mayor’s office, will succeed Republican incumbent Francis Suarez.
“With her runoff victory tonight, Eileen Higgins will be Miami’s next mayor—the first woman in the city’s history and the first Democrat in nearly 30 years elected to the office,” the Democratic Party said on X. “Congrats, Mayor-elect!”
In the latest mayoral race, Republican candidate Emilio Gonzalez lost despite securing endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
Two days before the local election, Trump urged Miami residents to go vote for Gonzalez. However, by Tuesday, the president’s message appeared futile.
Higgins received support from former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the lead-up to this week’s election.
The mayor-elect ran as a Democrat even though the race and role are technically nonpartisan. The mayoral runoff is one of the last electoral contests seen as a bellwether before the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine whether Democrats take control of Congress from Republicans.
In a statement following the election results, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin celebrated Higgins’s historic victory against the Trump-backed candidate.
DESANTIS WORRIED VOTERS ‘UNIQUE’ TO TRUMP WON’T BACK GOP IN MIDTERMS
“While her opponent was ready to rubber-stamp Donald Trump’s inflationary agenda, Higgins remained laser-focused on lowering costs and improving the lives of Miami families,” Martin said. “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.”
The Democratic Party touted its victory in Miami, bringing the total percentage of the 2025 key and special elections in which Democratic candidates won or overperformed to nearly 90%.
