Miami elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in nearly three decades. Eileen Higgins defeated Republican Emilio Gonzalez by a wide margin, despite his endorsement by Donald Trump.
Points of attention
- Democrat Eileen Higgins' historic victory over Republican Emilio Gonzalez in the Miami mayoral election, despite Trump's endorsement, signals a shift in the traditionally Republican Latino voter base.
- Eileen Higgins' campaign focused on criticism of Trump's immigration policies, resonating with Miami's diverse population, including immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
- The election result is seen as a positive signal for the Democratic Party ahead of the upcoming midterm congressional elections, emphasizing the importance of issues like border security and immigration policies to Latino voters.
Democrat Higgins sensationally becomes mayor of Miami
Higgins, 61, led her opponent by almost 20%, although her campaign was built on criticism of Trump's immigration policies.
She is also the first woman to win the mayoral election in Miami. In a comment to the AP, she said that Miami voters did not support the “inhumane rhetoric” against migrants.
The Democrat's victory came as a surprise, as most of the city's residents are immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries, who traditionally vote for Republicans.
Republican Congresswoman Maria Salazar called the results a "wake-up call" for her party. According to her, Latino voters want both border security and a strong economy, but also relaxation of rules for those migrants who have lived in the United States for many years and have no problems with the law.
Miami has a population of about 500,000 and is part of Miami-Dade County, which voted the most for incumbent US President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats are now viewing the new election result as a positive signal ahead of next year's midterm elections for Congress.
During the 2024 election, Trump was supported by 46% of Latino voters — a record among Republican candidates in the modern era.
The politician's success led to Vice President Kamala Harris receiving the worst result among Latino voters for a Democratic presidential candidate in the last 20 years.
Latinos voted for Donald Trump, despite his racist rhetoric describing undocumented immigrants and his claim that Puerto Rico is a "garbage island"
