Miami mayor’s race: Democrat beats Republican backed by Trump
Democrat Eileen Higgins has defeated Trump-backed opponent Emilio González in Tuesday night’s runoff for Miami mayor, according to preliminary election night results.
The position of Miami mayor is technically nonpartisan. But party politics have become a major focus in the election after multiple major GOP politicians announced endorsements for González, a former city manager and retired U.S. Army colonel who garnered endorsements from President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, among others.
In mid-November, the Democratic National Committee announced it was going “all in” to back Higgins, a former county commissioner and mechanical engineer by trade. Her endorsements include Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Miami Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.
Former Miami mayors described the hyper-partisanship as a first for a city election.
“It’s something new,” said Tomás Regalado, who was mayor from 2009 to 2017. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad in terms of mobilizing the people.”
Similarly, outgoing City Commissioner Joe Carollo, a former mayor who was first elected in 1979, said that in his 46 years in Miami politics, he’s never seen such a partisan divide in the mayor’s race.
With the race garnering widespread attention, both national political parties were hoping they could point to the race as a win: either as a rejection of Trump for Democrats, or for Republicans, a reversal of the Democratic momentum in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City last month. Some have argued the election is a “bellwether” for the 2026 midterms.
Speaking to the Miami Herald on Monday, Miami’s Republican Party Chair Kevin Cooper tried to minimize the national implications of a possible Higgins win. “If they manage to get their one win, they’re going to try to make a mountain out of a molehill,” he said.
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.
READ MORE: Democrat Eileen Higgins wins Miami mayor’s race, beats Trump’s pick
Miami Herald staff writer Claire Heddles contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 9, 2025 at 7:13 PM.
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