Donald Trump suffered a major blow in Miami as the Magic City elected Democrat Eileen Higgins as its new mayor on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. Her win is nothing short of historic as Higgins has become the first Democratic mayor of the city in 30 years, ending a three-decade winning streak for Republicans.
According to Reuters, Higgins is also the first woman to be elected mayor in Miami and the first non-Hispanic candidate since the 1990s. Last month, she won 36% of the vote and moved forward in the race to lead the city.
During the final showdown, Higgins, who previously served as a county commissioner, edged past Republican city manager Emilio Gonzalez to take over the winning crown. Official reports revealed that Higgins secured 59% votes against Gonzalez’s 41%.
With her runoff victory tonight, Eileen Higgins will be Miami’s next mayor—the first woman in the city’s history and the first Democrat in nearly 30 years elected to the office.
Congrats, Mayor-elect! pic.twitter.com/lSyZ087Xvc
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) December 10, 2025
According to the BBC, following her victory, Higgins said, “Miami chose a new direction… you chose competence over chaos.” She also promised to “lead a city that belongs to everyone.”
Despite being a Hispanic-majority county, Miami-Dade largely voted for Trump in 2024, making him the first victorious Republican presidential candidate since 1988. However, that support largely shifted on Tuesday when the city chose Higgins as its mayor.
Donald Trump also backed Gonzalez, alongside a string of other prominent Republicans. He posted two endorsements of the candidate on Truth Social, keeping Gonzalez’s promotion in line with the his crackdown on “migrant crime” and “secure borders.”
Eileen Higgins just became the first Democrat elected mayor of Miami in nearly 30 years. pic.twitter.com/5huqK2TvWl
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) December 10, 2025
As per The Guardian, Higgins also built much of her campaign around immigration. She framed the election as a referendum on Trump’s policies, including his support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail, efforts to end TPS (Temporary Protected Status), and humanitarian parole for groups such as Venezuelans, Cubans, and Haitians.
During her campaign, Eileen Higgins also criticized Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants and his mass deportation agenda. She even dubbed his immigration enforcement “inhumane and cruel.”
In an interview with El Pais earlier this week, Higgins said she and Trump, “have very different points of view on how we should treat our residents, many of whom are immigrants.”
Although Higgins assured she is ready to work with the Trump administration wherever they find common ground, the mayor-elect stated “I’ll make my voice heard,” when they disagree.
Higgins’ win in the city of Miami is seen by some as an example of growing resistance.
BREAKING: The city of Miami has elected its first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades, with Eileen Higgins defeating former city manager and President Donald Trump-endorsed Emilio González.pic.twitter.com/krgZAaXsDm
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 10, 2025
On the day of Eileen Higgins’ win, Donald Trump was reportedly in Pennsylvania for the opening leg of an “Affordability Tour,” aimed at boosting public confidence about the state of the American economy, per The Independent.
