Early voting began Friday for Miami’s mayoral runoff as both candidates are receiving support from some big names in the political world.
Eileen Higgins and Emilio Gonzalez were the top two finishers last month but only one will become the city’s next mayor in the Dec. 9 runoff.
Higgins is a former Miami-Dade County Commission member who unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022.
Gonzalez is the former Miami City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer.
Both Higgins and Gonzalez have been backed by top figures from the Democrats and Republicans.
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego was joining Higgins in Miami this weekend for early voting events. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also supported her in a video shared by her campaign on Friday.
If she wins the mayoral runoff, she could become the first Democrat to lead Miami in over 25 years.
Gonzalez has received endorsements from President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and was rallying voters with Sen. Rick Scott on Friday.
A loss for the Republican in the nonpartisan race could be perceived as a setback for the GOP in Florida, given how much Miami has moved to the right over the years.
Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, has been campaigning for fellow party members in Latino areas, helping New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger. Both off-year election results last month showed signs of a Hispanic shift away from Republicans.