Post-Election News: Miami's Mayoral Runoff

Good morning. It’s the day after Election Day, but in Miami, the story isn’t over yet. The city still doesn’t have a new mayor. That decision waits for the December 9 runoff, where voters will choose between Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former city manager Emilio González.

Even with turnout on the low side, a few things stand out. Higgins pulled in more votes than anyone else from a crowded field of 13. The mayor’s job is technically nonpartisan, but her strong showing gives Florida Democrats a rare bit of momentum after years of tough losses.

If Higgins wins, she’ll be Miami’s first woman mayor. She’s pitched herself as a practical problem-solver, talking up plans for more housing and real action on flooding. While other candidates spent the campaign shouting over one another, Higgins kept her cool. She played the calm, collected engineer, ready to get things done.

Asked what advice she’d give her party, Higgins kept it simple: “You run based on your values. I always tell people what matters to me. What matters to me is being honest, being hard-working, showing up every single day. I have a to-do list. It's a spreadsheet — because I'm an engineer — and it's very detailed, and we review it, and we work on things, and that's what people need. They need someone who goes to work for them.”

González finished second. That outcome pushed back against the old political families that have ruled Miami for decades, and it gave Governor Ron DeSantis another win — his endorsement, along with those from Senators Rick Scott and Ted Cruz, still packs a punch. González’s legal fight to stop the city from delaying the election also played well with voters.

So, what happens next? Over the next month, the campaigns will only heat up. On election night, you could already see the strategies forming. At Higgins’ party on the Yotel rooftop downtown, supporters passed around chicken empanadas, skewers, croquetas, and sliders. Higgins went after González’s outsider image, reminding people he was city manager “during a period of absolute chaos,” with non-stop yelling at City Hall. She also criticized his plan to keep working at an asset management firm if he becomes mayor — she’s promised to do the job full time.

Later, at González's gathering at Hoy Como Ayer in Little Havana, he’d just wrapped up a call with former City Commissioner Ken Russell, who came in a close third. González said he planned to call Higgins next. The crowd had thinned by the time reporters arrived, but a few dozen stuck around for champagne and salsa dancing.

González didn’t hold back. He painted Higgins as a career politician and said Miami-Dade can’t keep its budget on track. He argued the city needs strong ties with Tallahassee and the White House for big projects — something he says he brings to the table, given his time on the Trump transition team and Governor DeSantis’s backing. Like Higgins, he stayed more reserved than other candidates during debates, but on election night, he complained about “the drama and circus of the past.”

He also leaned into a familiar Republican line, calling Democrats “progressive liberals” and saying cities led by the left are “disaster areas” getting “run into the ground.”

At Higgins’ party, you’d spot Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, former Rep. Joe Garcia, and Anna Hochkammer (fresh off her wedding, which was officiated by former Rep., HHS Secretary, and University of Miami President Donna Shalala). At González’s event, City Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela made an appearance.