Miami Elects Eileen Higgins, First Democratic Mayor in Nearly 30 Years, in Shocking Rejection of Trump-Backed Rival

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami delivered a jolt to Florida politics last night as Eileen Higgins swept into City Hall, ending nearly 30 years of Republican dominance and handing President Donald Trump a rare local defeat in his own backyard.

Higgins, a former county commissioner, secured 59% of the vote against Republican rival Emilio González, who mustered just 40% despite endorsements from both the president and Governor Ron DeSantis. The margin, a striking 19 points, underscored how decisively Miami rejected the GOP’s preferred candidate.

Addressing supporters, Higgins declared: “Miami chose a new direction… You chose competence over chaos.”

Her victory, she said, “marks the beginning of the work ahead” as she vowed to confront the city’s intertwined crises of immigration pressures, affordability, and governance.

“We will lead a city that belongs to everyone,” she added.

Higgins now becomes Miami’s first female mayor and the first Democrat elected since Xavier Suarez, who later changed parties. Her campaign sharpened its contrasts with Trump-era politics, particularly over deportation policies, which she slammed in a debate as “inhumane and cruel.”

Higgins’ win adds to a growing stack of Democratic victories, from Virginia to New Jersey and New York, as races heat up ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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