POLITICS

Miami Elects Democrat Higgins in Historic Mayoral Runoff

Watch & Listen in 60 Seconds

Media Bias Meter

Sources: 4

Left 25%

Center 75%

Sources: 4

60-Second Summary

MIAMI — Eileen Higgins defeated Emilio Gonzalez in the mayoral runoff Tuesday, becoming Miami’s first Democratic mayor in nearly thirty years and the city’s first female mayor. Polls opened at 7 a.m., and Higgins led in vote-by-mail tallies heading into election day before securing a near-60 percent win in the runoff. Gonzalez had endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis; national Democrats and local allies backed Higgins. The contest drew national attention as a barometer for Hispanic voter trends ahead of the 2026 midterms. Election officials certified results with standard procedures. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

About this summary

This 60-second summary was prepared by the JQJO editorial team after reviewing 4 original reports from 7 News Miami, NYMag, 2 News Nevada and PBS.org.

Timeline of Events

Nov. 4: Initial Miami mayoral election produced no winner; Higgins led with 36%.
Post-Nov. 4: Both parties and national figures issued endorsements ahead of the runoff.
Runoff day (Tuesday): Polls opened at 7 a.m.; vote-by-mail tallies favored Higgins going into election day.
Election night: Higgins secured a decisive runoff victory, reported as near-60 percent by some outlets.
Aftermath: Officials certified results and local leaders commented on implications for 2026 midterms.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 4
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 3

Who Benefited

Eileen Higgins and allied Democratic organizations benefited politically from the win, gaining control of Miami's mayoralty, increased local influence, and a symbolic boost ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Who Suffered

Emilio Gonzalez, his Republican backers including endorsements from President Trump and Gov. DeSantis, and local GOP organizations suffered a setback losing the mayoralty and a high-profile Hispanic-majority contest.

Expert Opinion

After reading and researching latest news.... The runoff resulted in Eileen Higgins defeating Emilio Gonzalez, becoming Miami’s first Democratic and first female mayor in nearly 30 years; vote-by-mail favored Higgins and national endorsements framed the race as an early indicator for Hispanic voter dynamics ahead of 2026 midterms, not predictive.

Media Bias