Democrat Eileen Higgins is projected to win a runoff for the Miami mayor’s office, delivering yet another decisive rebuke of President Donald Trump.
As of Tuesday evening, Higgins, a county commissioner, had secured 59% of the vote and was poised to defeat Republican-backed Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager.
While the race was technically nonpartisan, prominent Democrats, including former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), had weighed in to back Higgins. At the same time, Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, had done the same for Gonzalez.
Higgins’s win is a major boost for Democrats, given the gains that Trump made in Miami-Dade County during his 2024 run against former Vice President Kamala Harris. Last year, Trump won 55% of the county’s votes after winning just 46% in 2020.
Higgins will also be the first Democrat — and first non-Hispanic person — to hold the city’s mayoral office in roughly 30 years.
