Democrat takes top spot in race for Miami mayor
In the crowded race for Miami mayor, Democrat Eileen Higgins was the top vote-getter Tuesday night and is headed for a runoff.
The Miami-Dade County commissioner will head to a Dec. 9 runoff against former Miami City Manager Emilio González, a Republican. There were 13 candidates in total.
With all precincts reporting, Higgins had captured nearly 36% of the vote, with González coming in second at more than 19%. Higgins got nearly double the votes as González.
While the position of Miami mayor is officially nonpartisan, party politics have been a major factor in the race to lead a city where President Donald Trump hopes to build his presidential library. Miami hasn’t seen a Democrat in charge since the 1990s.
The election results rolled in hours before Trump is expected in town to speak at the America Business Forum conference on Wednesday. The 47th president was invited to the event by the current mayor, Francis Suarez, a Republican and Trump ally who himself mounted a short-lived run for president in 2023.
There are over 61,000 registered Democrats in the city, compared to nearly 53,000 Republicans, according to data from the Miami-Dade Elections Department. Non-affiliated voters outnumber Republicans, with over 55,000 registered in the city.
While Miami-Dade County flipped red in 2024 for the first time in 36 years in a presidential election, the city of Miami remained blue — albeit by a narrow margin of 50% for Kamala Harris to 49% for Donald Trump.
FULL STORY: Eileen Higgins and Emilio González advance to runoff in Miami mayor’s race
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Democrat takes top spot in race for Miami mayor."
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