Eileen Higgins Breaks 30-Year Democratic Losing Streak, Wins Miami Mayoral Runoff
Eileen Higgins, a Democrat, defeated Republican Emilio González in the Miami mayoral runoff held on December 9, 2025. Higgins’ victory ends a 30-year ballot-box losing streak for Democrats in the city and makes her Miami’s first woman mayor. She previously served as a Miami-Dade County commissioner and was a Peace Corps director in Belize.
The runoff followed the November 4 election where no candidate reached 50%. González, who was endorsed by Donald Trump and had served on Trump’s Homeland Security transition team, campaigned against overdevelopment and proposed eliminating property taxes on primary residences. Meanwhile, Higgins focused her campaign on affordability and improving the efficiency of local government.
The Democratic National Committee and allied groups invested in the race, with DNC Chair Ken Martin describing Higgins’ win as a sign of national Democratic momentum after recent victories in Tennessee. Higgins will succeed term-limited Mayor Francis Suarez, who gained national attention for a brief GOP presidential bid in 2022.
Miami remains a blue enclave in Florida, despite the state leaning Republican; Trump carried Miami-Dade County in 2024, while Ron DeSantis won statewide by about 20 points in 2022. Higgins’ win is viewed as a potential indication of Hispanic and Latino voter sentiment toward Trump and the Republican agenda.
