MIAMI — The race for the next mayor of Miami comes down to a contest between a rising Democratic county commissioner and a candidate endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Miamians on Tuesday selected County Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former city manager Emílio González among 13 candidates. Because neither Higgins nor González reached the 50-percent threshold needed to declare victory, they’re headed for a runoff on Dec. 9.
Though the role of Miami mayor is technically nonpartisan, pressure is now on for Democrats to show they can still compete in Florida, a state that has become increasingly red since DeSantis was elected governor in 2018. The victory for González — who defeated numerous other Republicans in the race — also represents a win for DeSantis, though the runoff will further test the governor’s clout in the city. While he was once seen as a prominent candidate for president, DeSantis’ political future remains murky, as a new governor will be elected in the 2026 midterms.
González, a partner and senior adviser at an asset management firm, is all-in on DeSantis’ push to end property taxes on primary homes. Should he win in November, he could provide the governor with an effective local messenger to help make the push for abolishing the tax, which lawmakers are weighing putting before voters in a 2026 ballot referendum.
González also ran on a platform tied closely to President Donald Trump, having worked on the White House transition team and at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute — in addition to garnering endorsements from prominent GOP Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.) and Ted Cruz (Texas). He praised a plan to build Trump’s presidential library in downtown Miami, saying it would offer a boost to the city’s economy and workforce.
He successfully led a lawsuit against the city to have the mayoral race held this November after commissioners tried to push the election back a year. Had the issue gone unchallenged, officeholders including current, term-limited Mayor Francis Suarez would have remained in office for another year.
“I’m the only one of all the major candidates, who’s not a politician,” González said in an interview at his election night party, held at Hoy Como Ayer lounge in Little Havana. “I’m not using this to advance my political career. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve served in the White House. I’ve been confirmed by the Senate. For me, this is a labor of love. I want to serve my community. I could have stayed in Washington, but I didn’t. I came back.”
Higgins, who qualified to run by petition, was the top-polling woman in the race and was just reelected to a four-year term on the county’s commission. She had an edge going into the race; she lives in downtown Miami and more than half the district she represents is already in the city. Before going into elected office, she was an engineer, then director in the Peace Corps in Belize. She also worked at the U.S. State Department in Mexico. If elected, she would be Miami’s first female mayor.
“I hope to lead a city that really belongs to all of us, no matter what neighborhood you live in, no matter what language you speak, no matter who you love,” Higgins told the crowd of supporters gathered at her victory night party, held at the Yotel rooftop downtown. “Miami’s strength has always been its people, all of its peoples, the dreamers, the doers, the exiles who came here, looking for opportunity, looking for freedom, and that’s what’s possible with a government that works for you.”
Democrats have reasons to be optimistic about flipping Miami: Democrat Daniella Levine Cava won the race for mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2020 and secured reelection in 2024 without needing to go to a runoff. While Trump won Miami-Dade County in 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris won the city by around 1,000 votes, local election data show. Democrats also hold a 23,000-person registration advantage there.
“It’s been 28 years since Miami last elected a Democrat as its mayor and tonight’s result shows that the pendulum is swinging and the Democrats are the source,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement. “Miami is on the path to getting the leadership it deserves, and tomorrow the fight continues to ensure Eileen has all the people power she needs to declare victory in 35 days.”
Though the race received far less national coverage than those in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, it has major implications nationally given that Trump is planning to build his presidential library in the heart of downtown.
The city has recently positioned itself as a major global hub, with an influx of businesses relocating to Miami, as well as World Cup games and the G-20 summit set for the area next year. Trump is set to speak at the America Business Forum on Wednesday organized by Suarez, who’s term-limited and briefly ran for president in 2024.
Despite many successes, Miami has also struggled to retain longtime residents who’ve been driven to move elsewhere due to higher housing prices. The topic was a major point of discussion during debates and public forums for the mayoral election — as were concerns about flooding, immigration enforcement and corruption in city government.
Miami’s metro area is one of the largest in the U.S., yet the city has about half a million residents. Neighborhoods within the city include Coconut Grove, downtown, and the Upper East Side, as well as Overtown, a historic Black neighborhood, and Little Haiti.
Trump did not endorse in the race. Other leading GOP candidates included Xavier Suárez, the father of the current mayor, and Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, who DeSantis removed from office following bribery and money laundering charges that were later dropped. The other leading Democrat in the race who came close to González in the vote count was Ken Russell, who aimed to return to local politics after two unsuccessful attempts at running for Congress.
The race’s top fundraiser in the contest was city Commissioner Joe Carollo, who has widespread name recognition as an ex-mayor and member of the city commission. Carollo is known for his combative nature and has faced legal troubles during his time in office, having been dismissed last month from a federal lawsuit alleging he tried to leverage city regulations to put two Little Havana establishments out of business.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/04/miami-mayor-election-higgins-gonzalez-00636777?utm_source=www.cryptoflonews.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=bitcoin-falls-below-100k-is-this-the-end-of-the-bull-run
