Pete Buttigieg endorses Eileen Higgins for Miami mayor
Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Secretary of Transportation during the Biden administration, has endorsed Eileen Higgins for Miami mayor ahead of a Dec. 9 runoff election that’s become unusually partisan.
“I believe deeply in the importance of local leadership, especially right now, and Eileen has spent years showing up for this community,” Buttigieg said in a video posted to Higgins’ Instagram on Friday. “She has fought for more affordable housing, for better transit and for safer neighborhoods. She listens, she works hard and she delivers, and that’s exactly what Miami needs right now.”
Buttigieg, previously the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, rose to national prominence when he ran for U.S. president in 2020. Former President Joe Biden nominated Buttigieg to head the Department of Transportation shortly after the 2020 election.
Buttigieg is the latest national figure to weigh in on the Miami mayor’s race, which is officially nonpartisan.
Last month, President Donald Trump endorsed Higgins’ opponent, former City Manager Emilio González, who is also endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Higgins has the backing of the Democratic National Committee, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, among others.
Early voting began Friday and runs through Sunday. So far, over 15,000 voters have cast ballots in the Miami runoff, which also includes a District 3 City Commission race. The turnout so far is made up of over 6,600 Democrats, 4,800 Republicans and 3,700 independent voters, according to an unofficial count.
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