Democrats scored a rare win in deep-red Florida on Tuesday, delivering a major warning sign for Republicans as Democrat Eileen Higgins defeated Trump-backed Republican Emilio Gonzalez in Miami’s mayoral runoff, according to the Associated Press.
The race, though officially nonpartisan, became a national proxy battle. President Donald Trump threw his weight behind Gonzalez, reminding supporters on social media that Miami’s mayoral election “is a big and important race!!! Vote for Republican Gonzalez.” The Republican Party of Florida also invested heavily, hoping to maintain its decades-long winning streak in the city known as the nation’s “Gateway to Latin America.”
Democrats, however, poured in fresh resources after a string of strong performances nationwide. DNC Chair Ken Martin pointed to “historic overperformance in Tennessee and the record Democratic momentum across the country this year,” saying the party was now “laser focused” on Miami’s runoff. Following Higgins’ victory, Martin added the result “is yet another warning sign to Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is raising costs for working families across the country.”
Higgins becomes the first woman ever elected mayor of Miami, a symbolic breakthrough in a city that Trump narrowly lost in last year’s presidential race, even as he dominated statewide. Her focus on affordability and government efficiency appeared to resonate more than Gonzalez’s emphasis on fighting overdevelopment and eliminating property taxes for primary homes.
For Republicans, the upset suggests shifting sentiment among Hispanic and Latino voters—a key bloc that delivered Trump major gains last cycle. The loss underscores new vulnerabilities heading into 2026 as Miami remains one of the few blue holdouts in an otherwise solidly red Florida.
