The analysis and punditry of the results of Miami’s mayoral election started even before Democrat Eileen Higgins won the race.
No doubt, it was a good — even great — night for Democrats. The nonpartisan race turned into a red-versus-blue contest with President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Emilio Gonzalez, a Republican, and the infusion of resources Higgins got from national Democrats. But does this mean Florida — and Miami-Dade, which Trump easily carried in 2024 — are back in play for the Democratic Party?
Higgins made history as the first woman to lead Miami and the first elected mayor to run as a Democrat since the 1990s. But we should be careful with extrapolations, especially when turnout in city elections is embarrassingly low. Fewer than 38,000 Miamians voted — out of 176,000 city voters.
We wish the election had remained nonpartisan. But in today’s politically polarized climate, it was only a matter of time before local races — where issues such as affordability, infrastructure and public transportation should not be partisan — became embroiled in party politics.
Alas, that ship has sailed.
A two-pronged test
The mayoral race became a test for two things: whether Democrats can crawl their way out of the electoral hole they dug for themselves in South Florida, and whether a Trump endorsement sinks or elevates candidates in a general election.
Gonzalez lost by nearly 20 points. That Trump’s support did not get him elected is no surprise. The president’s endorsement may work in a GOP primary, but a general election in a city that Kamala Harris carried in 2024, albeit by a slim margin, is a different story.
Trump’s support also failed to get several candidates elected in important U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races across the country in 2022. Trump has also lost support among Hispanic voters, a key demographic in Miami.
In hindsight, would Gonzalez have been better off running only on his résumé as a former city manager and retired Army colonel who reversed in court the city’s decision to move the 2025 elections to next year without voter approval?
Even that might not have been enough to close the gap with Higgins.
‘A shot in the arm’
The election was a “shot in the arm” for Democrats, Fernand Amandi, a Miami Democratic pollster, told the Miami Herald Editorial Board.
“I think for the first time, they have something they can start to build on,” Amandi said.
Higgins’ win will encourage Democratic donors to take a second look at Florida, a state the party has essentially written off in recent elections, and it’s an indicator they should not ignore the state anymore, Amandi said.
But even the most optimistic Democrats are probably not saying this means Florida is back in play for them. The 2026 elections will still be a challenge for the party that has been hemorrhaging voters and has ceded control to the GOP, including in former blue bastions like Miami-Dade.
Now that Higgins has won two competitive races — for mayor and Miami-Dade County commissioner in 2018 — consultants will inevitably begin looking at her next political move (she gave up her county seat less than halfway through her second term to run for mayor).
An ambitious agenda
But Higgins must focus on implementing an ambitious agenda that includes streamlining the city’s slow permitting system, building more affordable housing and improving public transit.
Above all, her legacy will be defined by whether she can change the image of Miami from a city where scandals and bad behavior are the status quo. She will have to accomplish all that with the limited powers Miami’s charter gives the mayor.
Unlike the mayors of Miami-Dade and other cities, she will not have administrative powers, which are delegated to a city manager she can appoint. Higgins, however, should be strategic with her existing powers to veto legislation and whip votes on the commission on issues she cares about.
Miami’s mayoral election was a good night for Democrats. But the real measure of success will be if the next four years are better for Miami residents.
This editorial was originally published in the Miami Herald. The Sun Sentinel on occasion republishes editorials that reflect our point of view. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman, and Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.
