When Eileen Higgins stepped on stage December 9 at the Miami Woman’s Club to give her victory speech to her cheering crowd of supporters, the moment became a historic one for the city. Not only is Higgins the first female mayor of Miami, she is the first Democratic one in the city since 1998.
Higgins, 61, beat her opponent, Emilio González, 68, by almost 60% of the vote. Although the race for mayor is nonpartisan, both candidates received backing from the two parties and prominent partisan political figures. Her opponent Emilio González was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Higgins received endorsements from former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who governs over the region that includes the city and surrounding area.
“Together, we prove that when we unite around honesty, opportunity, and results, Miami wins,” Higgins said in her speech. While her election is significant for Miami, it follows an emerging trend toward Democratic party victories in elections where control has switched between the two parties.
Elections for governor of New Jersey, governor of Virginia and judges in Pennsylvania in November were seen by the media and analysts as a sign that midterm elections in 2026 could flip Congress blue, and the Miami mayoral race adds to this prediction. It also suggests that this is the result of Trump’s declining ratings: an AP-NORC poll from December 11 showed that out of 1,146 adults nationwide, 61 percent disapproved of Trump’s overall job performance.
Higgins, a Miami-Dade County commissioner since 2018, reiterated her campaign promises in her speech, including creating more affordable housing, cutting red tape for infrastructure repairs, making it easier for small businesses to open and “modernizing” the city while focusing on sustainability in Biscayne Bay. While she did not address Trump and his policies directly, Higgins, who is the first non-Hispanic mayor since the 1990s, did say she wants Miami to be a place where “immigrants feel welcomed and respected.”
The Trump administration has cracked down on sanctuary cities, which are municipalities that are thought to be friendly toward illegal immigrants, including Miami. However, the executive branch has also targeted legal immigrants, such as those under Temporary Protective Status (TPS), a program that offers legal status and work permits to immigrants from certain countries designated as dangerous. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has terminated TPS designation from several countries, including Venezuela, South Sudan, Burma and Ethiopia. Florida leads the country in the number of TPS holders residing in a state, with nearly four times the amount of TPS holders than the second most popular state, according to the National Immigration Forum.
The Miami Herald reported that González, a Cuban immigrant who was also former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said that he supports immigrants but also supports immigration services detaining criminals. He agrees with the commission’s vote for Miami police to enter into an agreement with ICE that allows the federal agency to deputize local officers, granted that only a few in department can be called upon. Gov. DeSantis has pressured municipalities in Florida to enter into these agreements.
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Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami flipped red in the presidential election that saw Trump elected for the second time. It was the first time the county voted Republican since 1988 for George H.W. Bush, in some part because of Trump’s growing influence among Latinos dissatisfied with the economy under former President Joe Biden. But Latino approval of Trump has followed the same trend as the rest of the public, even among Latinos who supported the president.
Despite some social media jabs from González claiming Higgins will overdevelop Miami, the two ended the race with a show of unity. Higgins called González a “good man” that “cares about our community.” González said in his concession speech that he told the new mayor “we’re going to get behind you.”
“I know full well that you plan on holding me accountable,” Higgins said in her speech. “Because tomorrow morning, it’s time to get to work.” She has already begun building her executive team and is expected to be sworn in before Christmas, according to Florida Politics.
