A Democrat wins Miami’s mayoral race for the first time in nearly 30 years

MIAMI (AP) — Democrat Eileen Higgins won Miami’s mayoral race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican backed by President Donald Trump to end her party’s nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a boost in one of the final election battles before the 2026 midterm elections.

Higgins, 61, will be the first woman to lead the city of Miami. She has spoken frequently in the majority-Latino city about Trump’s anti-immigration campaign, saying she has heard from many people in Miami who are concerned about family members being detained. She campaigned as a proud Democrat even though the race was officially nonpartisan and beat Trump-backed candidate Emilio Gonzalez, the former city manager, who said he called Higgins to congratulate her.

“We are facing rhetoric from elected officials that is very cruel and inhumane, especially against immigrant populations,” Higgins told The Associated Press after her victory speech. “The people of Miami were willing to do it.”

With nearly all the votes counted Tuesday, Higgins led the Republican by about 19 percentage points.

The local race does not predict what might happen at the ballot box next year. But it caught the attention of the two major national political parties and their leaders. The win provides Democrats some momentum ahead of high-stakes midterm elections when the GOP looks to maintain its hold in Florida, including a majority-Hispanic district in Miami-Dade County. The area has shifted increasingly to the political right in recent years, and the city may become home to Trump’s presidential library.

“Tonight’s result is another warning sign for Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch, cost-push-up agenda,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.

Some nationally recognized Democrats supported Higgins, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel traveled to Miami on Sunday and Monday to rally voters for the Democrat who served as a Miami-Dade County commissioner for seven years.

Higgins, who speaks Spanish, represents a conservative district that includes the Cuban neighborhood of Little Havana. When she first entered politics in 2018, she chose to introduce herself to voters as “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use to refer to white Americans, because many people don’t know how to pronounce her name.

“It just helps people understand who I am, and you know what? I’m a gringa, so what am I going to do, deny it?” She told the Associated Press.

Republicans are growing concerned

Republicans in Florida found strong support from voters of Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan descent, because they likened some members of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing to politicians from the governments they fled. Trump and other members of the Republican Party have exploited these sentiments over the past eight years.

However, some local Republicans have been increasingly frustrated since the November elections when Democrats scored victories in New Jersey and Virginia, where the victorious gubernatorial candidates performed strongly among nonwhite voters.

The results of those races were seen as a reflection of concerns about rising prices and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.

US Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district, which includes the city of Miami, is being targeted by Democrats, described the election elsewhere as a “wake-up call.” Hispanics also want secure borders and a healthy economy but some relief “for those who have been here for years and don’t have a criminal record,” she said.

“Hispanic votes are not guaranteed,” Salazar said in a video posted on X last month. “Latinos married President Trump, but only date the GOP.”

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David Jolly, who is running to represent Democrats in Florida’s governor’s race next year, said the mayoral election was good news for Democrats in a battleground state.

“Change is here. It’s sweeping the nation, sweeping Florida,” Jolie said.

Miami’s mayor-elect gets a national platform

The position of mayor of Miami is more ceremonial, but Higgins promised to implement it as a full-time job.

The city is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, a significant improvement from his 30 percentage point loss to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

As the second largest city in Florida, Miami is considered the gateway to Latin America and attracts millions of tourists. Her international fame gives Higgins an important position as mayor.

Her plan for voters included finding city-owned land that could be converted into affordable housing and cutting unnecessary spending.