Democrat wins Miami mayor's race for the first time in nearly 30 years
Source: AP
Updated 12:52 AM EST, December 10, 2025
MIAMI (AP) Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayors race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to end her partys nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Higgins, 61, will be the first woman to lead the city of Miami. She spoke frequently in the Hispanic-majority city about Trumps immigration crackdown, saying she has heard of many people in Miami who were worried about family members being detained. She campaigned as a proud Democrat despite the race being officially nonpartisan and beat Trump-backed candidate Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager, who said he called Higgins to congratulate her.
We are facing rhetoric from elected officials that is so dehumanizing and cruel, especially against immigrant populations, Higgins told The Associated Press after her victory speech. The residents of Miami were ready to be done with that.
With nearly all votes counted Tuesday, Higgins led the Republican by about 19 percentage points.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/miami-mayor-trump-higgins-gonzalez-f0d8c55a4b97962ac1348c5a93295465