Former Miami‑Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins won Miami’s mayoral runoff Tuesday, becoming the city’s first woman ever elected mayor and the first Democrat chosen for the office in nearly 30 years. Unofficial tallies from the Miami‑Dade County Supervisor of Elections showed Higgins with about 59% of the vote to former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez’s nearly 41%. Of 175,692 registered voters, 37,496 cast ballots, a turnout of 21.3%.
Higgins emerged from a crowded 13‑candidate primary and used her victory speech to cast the result as a change in direction. “Our city chose a new direction. You chose competence over chaos, results over excuses and a city government that finally works for you,” she told supporters, pledging to reduce bureaucracy, modernize City Hall, tackle affordability, back law enforcement while building community partnerships, and protect Biscayne Bay.
Her campaign emphasized immigration, housing, flooding, growth and restoring a calmer tone at City Hall. A two‑term Miami‑Dade commissioner, Higgins ran on rebuilding public trust and more collaborative governance. Affordable housing was central to her platform: she proposed using city‑owned land for housing for working families, reviewing city spending, updating regulations to allow permeable pavement, accelerating park construction to improve drainage, and expanding the City Commission from five to nine members to increase representation.
On immigration enforcement, Higgins criticized recent actions as “inhumane and cruel.” She said she would cooperate with the federal government on shared priorities while speaking out when she disagreed with policies.
Although the mayoral race is officially nonpartisan, Higgins was supported by prominent Democrats, while Republicans — including Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump — backed Gonzalez. The two also met in a televised debate on Nov. 25, giving voters a clear contrast of priorities and styles.
Gonzalez conceded Tuesday and met with Higgins before addressing his supporters, saying he and his team would give her “all the latitude you need to do great things.” He also reflected on a lawsuit he filed in July 2025 challenging the city’s decision to postpone the mayoral election to 2026; a judge voided that delay and allowed the election to proceed in 2025. Gonzalez described the legal fight as “much bigger than me,” noting the irony that he had sued to force an election he ultimately lost.
Higgins celebrated with a diverse group of local officials, including Miami‑Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Police Chief Manny Morales, County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III, Opa‑locka Mayor John Taylor and Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. Levine Cava called the result a historic milestone and said voters had sent a message that they were tired of chaos, corruption and rising costs.
Looking ahead, Higgins takes office with a mandate to address housing affordability, climate resilience and government transparency. Her win marks a notable shift in Miami’s political landscape and sets up a period of policy focus on the city’s most pressing challenges.