Miami — Democrat Eileen Higgins won the position of mayor of Miami on Tuesday, defeating a Republican candidate supported by President Donald Trump, ending a streak of consecutive defeats for her party that lasted for nearly three decades and giving Democrats a boost in the presidential elections. One of the last electoral battles Before the 2026 midterm elections.
Higgins, 61, will be the first woman to lead the city of Miami. I’ve talked about it frequently The city is predominantly Spanish About Trump’s campaign against immigration, saying she heard from several people in Miami who were concerned about their 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 right politically in recent years, and the city may become home to Trump 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 in Florida have found strong support from ethnic voters Cuba, Venezuela and NicaraguaBecause they likened some members of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party 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 concerns of the Trump administration 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.”
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.
The position of mayor of Miami is considered more ceremonial, but Higgins promised to implement it as a full-time job.
The city is part of Miami-Dade County, Which Trump turned against last yearThis is a significant improvement over his 30 percentage point loss to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
As the second largest city in Florida, Miami is considered a 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.