Miami elects first female mayor, Democrat’s first win in 28 years
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Democrats can now add a major city in Donald Trump’s home state — and one set to host his future presidential library — to their list of off-cycle election wins.
In a Tuesday runoff, Miamians elected Eileen Higgins as mayor, the first woman in the city’s history to hold the job and the first Democrat in 28 years. Higgins, a former county commissioner, defeated Republican Emilio González, an ex-city manager who had the endorsement of Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, with 60 percent of the vote, News.Az reports, citing Politico.
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Miami chose a new direction,” Higgins said during her victory speech at the Miami Woman’s Club. “You chose competence over chaos, results over excuses and a city government that finally works for you.”
Though the race and the job of mayor are nominally nonpartisan, the election generated sizable interest from national Democrats and Republicans. Higgins’ win adds to the slew of victories and close calls Democrats have seen this year, including last week’s strong performance in a House special election in Tennessee.
The election could boost messaging for Florida Democrats, who’ve faced setbacks in recent election cycles and have a 1.4 million registered voter disadvantage in this former swing state.
“Tonight’s victory shows that the pendulum is swinging in our favor and that when we commit to relentless, year-round organizing and invest in a long-term strategic field program, we can, in fact, win,” FDP Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement Tuesday night.
Despite the race’s partisan themes, Higgins, a mechanical engineer and former Peace Corp director in Belize, often shunned partisanship in interviews and instead ran a campaign focused on how she would make city government work better and faster to help alleviate residents’ affordability issues. She promised Tuesday night to get to work the very next day and to “serve every single day to be the honest, effective, hard-working mayor you deserve.
She and González also agreed the city’s politics had been far too dynastic, dramatic and corrupt, and both called for entering a new era of stability. Miami’s international standing is set to grow in the years ahead, given the city will host FIFA World Cup matches and neighbors Doral, the site of the 2026 G-20 summit. Its population since the Covid pandemic also has surged with wealthy residents who’ve contributed to making life less affordable for longtime Miamians.
News.Az
