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Miami voters have elected Democrat Eileen Higgins as the city’s first female mayor and the first Democrat to hold the office in nearly three decades. In Tuesday’s runoff, Higgins, a former county commissioner, defeated Republican Emilio González, a former city manager backed by former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.“Together, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city, one defined by ethical, accountable leadership that delivers real results for the people,” Higgins said in a statement after the voivtory, promising to lead a government “that finally earns the public’s trust,” as cited by NYT. Although Miami’s elections are officially nonpartisan, both major parties played an active role in the campaign. US President Donald Trump endorsed González, while the Democratic National Committee backed Higgins. In the days leading up to the vote, several prominent national Democrats traveled to Miami to campaign alongside her, an unusual show of support for a low-turnout, off-year local election. Higgins secured victory the victory after topping the first round of voting on November 4, where she received 35 per cent of the vote compared to González’s 19 per cent.
Who is Eileen Higgins?
Higgins will make history as Miami’s first female mayor and its first non-Hispanic mayor since the 1990s, breaking a three-decade dominance of Cuban American Republicans in city politics.Higgins, a trained mechanical engineer and former Peace Corps director in Belize, previously represented what she described as a Republican-leaning district on the county commission. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.On the campaign trail, she pledged to focus on addressing residents’ everyday concerns if elected, as cited by Politico. Higgins had served as a well-known county commissioner for eight years, representing a district that included Miami’s downtown. In the November 4 election, she also secured the top spot across all five of the city’s commission districts.She received a social media endorsement from former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is a former mayor and was a 2020 presidential candidate.She also led in all five of the city’s commission districts and will succeed outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez, who had briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination, as cited by the NYT. Miami, home to roughly half a million residents, is Florida’s second-largest city after Jacksonville. While the city, like the state, has trended Republican in recent election cycles, Higgins’ Democratic victory stands out as particularly notable.
