Eileen Higgins just made history, becoming the first woman ever elected Miami Mayor.<\/p>\n
With 108 of 139 precincts reporting and complete tallies of mail-in and early votes, Higgins \u2014 a former Miami-Dade County Commissioner \u2014 had 59% of the vote to defeat ex-City Manager Emilio Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight, the people of Miami made history. Together, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city \u2014 one defined by ethical, accountable leadership that delivers real results for the people. I am deeply honored by the trust voters have placed in me to serve as the next Mayor of Miami,\u201d Higgins said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis victory belongs to every resident who knocked on doors, gathered petitions, made phone calls, and believed that integrity and hard work could triumph over politics as usual. Together, we built something extraordinary: a movement powered not by insiders or special interests, but by residents from every single neighborhood in Miami who love our city and demand better.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Mayor, I will lead a government that works for everyone \u2014 one that listens, acts, and delivers. From safe neighborhoods and affordable housing to clean parks, thriving small businesses, and a City Hall that finally earns the public\u2019s trust, we\u2019re ready to get to work. Tonight, we celebrate not just a victory, but a new beginning for Miami \u2014 a city that belongs to all of us, and a future we will build together. \u00a1Vamos a trabajar!\u201d<\/p>\n
Higgins is a Democrat, while Gonz\u00e1lez is a Republican, though their party affiliations did not appear on Tuesday\u2019s runoff ballot. Still, most voters no doubt knew which side of the aisle the candidates stood on, given the activity and interest surrounding the race ahead of Election Day.<\/p>\n
Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and Orange County Mayor-turned-gubernatorial candidate\u00a0Jerry Demings\u00a0and his wife, former U.S. Rep. Val Demings.<\/p>\n
The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) and Miami-Dade Democratic Party both celebrated Higgins\u2019 win with statements.<\/p>\n
FDP Chair\u00a0Nikki Fried\u00a0started by noting it\u2019s been 28 years since Miamians chose a Democrat as Mayor and that the city \u201cis once again in competent hands, ready to stop corruption and focus on making life better for all Miamians.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight\u2019s 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,\u201d Fried said.\u00a0\u201cThis campaign has been a long, hard-fought race. With the support of Democrats across the country, voters chose to turn the page on decades of cronyism, shadowy deals, and political nepotism in City Hall. By electing Eileen Higgins, Miami has voted for accountability, transparency, and progress. Now the work begins to chart a bold new future for South Florida that works on behalf of the people, not just the rich and powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, high-profile Republicans like President\u00a0Donald Trump, Gov.\u00a0Ron DeSantis,\u00a0U.S. Sens.\u00a0Rick Scott\u00a0and Ted Cruz, and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running to succeed DeSantis, lined up behind Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n
Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair\u00a0Laura Kelley\u00a0said Tuesday\u2019s outcome \u201cunderscores a fundamental truth: Miami-Dade Democrats are in a strong position to deliver for residents who are exhausted by Trump-created chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth\u2019s List Florida, which backs Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights, aptly called Higgins\u2019 victory \u201cextraordinary.\u201d The group was one of many advocacy and union organizations that endorsed Higgins this cycle.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight\u2019s win is the latest chapter in her record of exceptional public service. She now joins a growing cohort of pro-choice women leading cities, big and small, across the state- a wave of leaders proving a powerful truth\u2026 when women lead, communities thrive,\u201d Ruth\u2019s List Florida CEO\u00a0Christina Diamond\u00a0said in a statement.<\/p>\n
For many, Tuesday\u2019s outcome in a city where growth, climate challenges and governance failures remain top concerns for nearly 500,000 residents will be viewed as a bellwether heading toward what is expected to be a volatile 2026 cycle.<\/p>\n
The two candidates\u00a0rose from a 13-person field<\/a> on Nov. 4, with Higgins winning about 36% of the vote and Gonz\u00e1lez taking 19.5%. Because neither surpassed 50%, they advanced to a runoff, each pitching their visions for a city grappling with affordability, rising seas, political dysfunction and rapid growth.<\/p>\n Both promised to bring more stability and accountability to City Hall. Both said Miami\u2019s permitting process needs fixing.<\/p>\n Higgins, a 61-year-old mechanical engineer by training and an eight-year County Commissioner with a broad, international background in government service, emphasized affordable housing \u2014 urging the city to build on public land and create a dedicated housing trust fund \u2014 and backed a plan to expand the City Commission from five to nine members, which she said would improve neighborhood representation.<\/p>\n She also backed more eco-friendly and flood-preventative infrastructure, faster park construction and better transportation connectivity and efficiency.<\/p>\n She\u00a0opposed Miami\u2019s 287(g)<\/a>\u00a0agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling recent enforcement \u201cinhumane and cruel<\/a>,\u201d and pledged to serve as a full-time Mayor with no outside employment while replacing City Manager Art Noriega.<\/p>\n Gonz\u00e1lez, a 68-year-old retired Air Force colonel, former Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and ex-CEO of Miami International Airport, argued Miami needs an experienced administrator to fix what he calls deep structural problems.<\/p>\n He made permitting reform a top priority, calling the current system barely functional, and said affordability must be addressed through broader tax relief rather than relying on housing development alone.<\/p>\n He supported\u00a0limited police cooperation<\/a>\u00a0with ICE and said Miami must prepare for the potential repeal of property taxes. He vowed to replace Noriega, but opposed Higgins\u2019 effort to expand the City Commission.<\/p>\n He also promised, if elected, to establish a \u201cDeregulation Task Force\u201d to unburden small businesses, prioritize capital investments that protect Miamians, increase the city\u2019s police force, modernize city services with technology and a customer-friendly approach, and rein in government spending and growth.<\/p>\n Notably, Miami\u2019s Nov. 4 election\u00a0might not have taken place without Gonz\u00e1lez, who\u00a0successfully<\/a>\u00a0sued<\/a> in July to stop officials from delaying it\u00a0until 2026.<\/p>\n Last year, Higgins was re-elected unopposed<\/a> to the County Commission seat she first won in a 2018 upset before choosing to vacate her seat three years early to run for Mayor \u2014 a move that drew criticism<\/a> from Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n Before winning elected office, she worked for years in the private sector, overseeing global manufacturing in Europe and Latin America. She also held lead marketing posts at Pfizer and Jose Cuervo.<\/p>\n In 2006, Higgins took a Director job with the Peace Corps in Belize, after which she served as a foreign service officer for the U.S. State Department under President\u00a0Barack Obama, working in Mexico and in economic development areas in South Africa.<\/p>\n Since filing for the Mayor\u2019s race in April, Higgins has raised $386,500 through her campaign account. She also raised nearly $658,000 by the end of September through her county-level political committee, Ethical Leadership for Miami<\/a>. Close to a third of that sum \u2014 $175,000 \u2014 came through a transfer from her\u00a0state-level PC<\/a>.<\/p>\n She also spent about $881,000.<\/p>\n Gonz\u00e1lez, an immigrant from Cuba, brought the most robust government background to the race. After leaving the military, he served as Miami\u2019s City Manager from 2017 to 2020, CEO of Miami International Airport from 2013 to 2017 and as Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under President\u00a0George W. Bush from 2005 to 2008.<\/p>\n He also served as Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council under Bush.<\/p>\n In private life, he works as a partner at investment management firm RSMD Investco LLC. He also serves on the Treasury Investment Council at the Florida Department of Financial Services.<\/p>\n Since filing to run for Mayor in April, he raised nearly $1.2 million and spent about $1 million.<\/p>\n