Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 30 years as Eileen Higgins scores upset win

Miami has elected their first Democratic mayor in three decades in a major snub to the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump’s Republican party.

Eileen Higgins, 61, was elected as mayor of Miami on Tuesday night in a major upset highlighting the growing resistance to Trump policies.

Republican candidate Emilio Gonzalez was endorsed by Republican heavyweights, including President Trump, who shared two endorsements for the candidates, both spelling Gonzalez’s name incorrectly, on Truth Social.

The Guardian reports that Miami-Dade county with a significant immigrant population voted for Trump in large numbers in 2024; however, they melted away on Tuesday possibly due to the current administration’s anti-immigrant policies.

Trump’s endorsements aligned Gonzalez with the president’s “anti-immigrant” and “secure borders” agenda.

Higgins also focused her campaign on immigrant policies, declaring the election to be a referendum against Trump policies. She won the election, becoming the first Democratic mayor of the city since 1997.

Miami has around 57 percent of foreign born population, according to the 2024 census.

In an interview with El Pais, the Miami mayor-elect said, “Trump and I have different points of view on how we should treat our residents, most of whom are immigrants.”

This comes after New York City also elected a Democratic mayor Zohran Mamdani, a strong critic of President Trump’s immigrant policies.