Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years
[December 10, 2025]
By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON
MIAMI (AP) — Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayor’s race on
Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to
end her party’s nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a
boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Higgins, 61, will be the first woman to lead the city of Miami. She
spoke frequently in the Hispanic-majority city about Trump’s immigration
crackdown, saying she has heard of many people in Miami who were worried
about family members being detained. She campaigned as a proud Democrat
despite the race being officially nonpartisan and beat Trump-backed
candidate Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager, who said he called
Higgins to congratulate her.
“We are facing rhetoric from elected officials that is so dehumanizing
and cruel, especially against immigrant populations,” Higgins told The
Associated Press after her victory speech. “The residents of Miami were
ready to be done with that.”
With nearly all votes counted Tuesday, Higgins led the Republican by
about 19 percentage points.
The local race is not predictive of what may happen at the polls next
year. But it drew attention from the two major national political
parties and their leaders. The victory provides Democrats with some
momentum heading into a high-stakes midterm election when the GOP is
looking to keep its grip in Florida, including in a Hispanic-majority
district in Miami-Dade County. The area has shifted increasingly
rightward politically in recent years, and the city may become the home
of Trump’s presidential library.
“Tonight’s result is yet another warning sign to Republicans that voters
are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is raising costs,” said
Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, in a
statement.
Some nationally recognized Democrats supported Higgins, including former
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and
former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel traveled to Miami on Sunday and Monday
to rally voters for the Democrat who served as a Miami-Dade county
commissioner for seven years.
Higgins, who speaks Spanish, represented a district that leans
conservative and includes the Cuban neighborhood of Little Havana. When
she first entered politics in 2018, she chose to present herself to
voters as “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use for white Americans,
because many people did not known how to pronounce her name.
“It just helps people understand who I am, and you know what? I am a ‘gringa,’
so, what am I going to do, deny it?” she told the AP.
Republicans’ anxiety grows
Republicans in Florida have found strong support from voters with
heritage from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, because they likened some
members of the Democratic party’s progressive wing with politicians from
the governments they fled. Trump and other GOP members have tapped into
those sentiments over the past eight years.
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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava reacts at a watch party
for Miami mayor-elect Eileen Higgins after Higgins won the Miami
mayoral runoff election, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Miami. (AP
Photo/Lynne Sladky)
However, some local Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated
since November’s elections when Democrats scored wins in New Jersey
and Virginia, where both winning gubernatorial candidates performed
strongly with nonwhite voters.
The results from those races were perceived as a reflection of
concerns over rising prices and the Trump administration’s
aggressive immigration policies.
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district is being
targeted by Democrats and includes the city of Miami, called the
elections elsewhere a “wake-up call.” She said Hispanics also want a
secure border and a healthy economy but some relief for “those who
have been here for years and do not have a criminal record.”
“The Hispanic vote is not guaranteed,” Salazar said in a video
posted on X last month. “Hispanics married President Trump, but they
are only dating the GOP.”
David Jolly, who is running to represent Democrats in the Florida
governor's race next year, said the mayoral election was good news
for Democrats in what used to be a battleground state.
“Change is here. It's sweeping the nation, and it's sweeping
Florida,” Jolly said.
Miami mayor-elect gains national platform
The mayoral position in Miami is more ceremonial, but Higgins
promised to execute it like a full-time job.
The city is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last
year, a dramatic improvement from his 30 percentage point loss to
Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
As Florida’s second-largest city, Miami is considered the gateway to
Latin America and attracts millions of tourists. Its global
prominence gives Higgins a significant stage as mayor.
Her pitch to voters included finding city-owned land that could be
turned into affordable housing and cutting unnecessary spending.
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