La Gringa Eileen Higgins makes history with Miami mayoral election victory

The high-drama Miami mayoral election is over and, as expected, frontrunner Eileen Higgins was elected mayor, making history as the first woman to hold that seat. She is also the first Democrat and first non-Hispanic to hold the seat in decades.
And she did it with 59% of the vote — an 18-point lead over her opponent, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez.
It’s also historic because, for the first time in a long while, Miami voters didn’t pick the shiny object, the political dynasty, or the guy with the biggest billboard on Biscayne Boulevard. Sure, Higgins — a county commissioner who left her seat three years early for this bid — had the funding and the political machinery, the name recognition and the national party assist. But Miami voters still picked the one candidate who isn’t the status quo.
“For nearly 130 years since Julia Tuttle founded this city, Miami has never elected a woman as mayor. That changes tonight,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the other Alcaldesa and Higgins BFF, calling it a well-earned victory. “This is a milestone for our city, for representation, and for every young person who deserves to see themselves reflected in leadership.
Read related: Daniella Levine Cava gives Higgins the expected abrazo in Miami mayor’s race
“But tonight’s results tell another story as well. Miami spoke loudly. Young people, families, and seniors are tired of the chaos, the corruption, and the empty promises while life keeps getting more expensive. Grocery bills, rent, insurance — the basics people rely on — are becoming out of reach. Voters are demanding leaders who will show up, tell the truth, and fight for them.
“Eileen’s victory demonstrates that Miami is ready to turn the page,” Levine Cava said, putting a lot of pressure on her “friend and collaborator,” by adding, “The future of Miami starts now.”
Sure, and today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
But, honesty, the results weren’t just a win — they were a message. A scream, really, from voters who are tired of being embarrassed. A citywide, fed-up, “ya basta” aimed right at the last decade of corruption cosplay inside Miami City Hall.
Gonzalez, frankly, had been part of the system for years and came from the same Republican macho cloth that every other city mayor has come with, except, maybe, Manny Diaz.
Neighborhoods from Allapattah to The Roads, from Little Havana to Coconut Grove, from Flagami to Brickell — they all turned out for Higgins, who had the momentum coming out of Election Day with double digits over Gonzalez (36% to 18%). And Democrats, independents, Republicans-who-stopped-recognizing-their-own-party, and thousands of NPA voters all combined to give her a real, honest-to-God mandate Tuesday.

Even though Republicans outnumbered Democrats by a little bit during early voting, Higgins got more ballots cast her way during those three days.
And turnout was just a little bit higher than it was for the first round Nov. 4, which was unexpected.
Read related: Eileen Higgins heads into partisan Miami mayoral runoff with momentum
Minutes after the race was called, Higgins came out looking both stunned and steady — the same “keep your head down and get to work” energy that has carried her through every campaign.
“Tonight, the people of Miami made history,” she said in a statement shared with supporters. “Together, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city — one defined by ethical, accountable leadership that delivers real results for the people. I am deeply honored by the trust voters have placed in me to serve as the next Mayor of Miami.
“This victory belongs to every resident who knocked on doors, gathered petitions, made phone calls, and believed that integrity and hard work could triumph over politics as usual. Together, we built something extraordinary: a movement powered not by insiders or special interests, but by residents from every single neighborhood in Miami who love our city and demand better.”
Eileen Higgins thanks her campaign “fellows” — student volunteers.
She tried to bridge the gap in the community created by what had become a hyper partisan race. “As Mayor, I will lead a government that works for everyone — one that listens, acts, and delivers,” Higgins said. “From safe neighborhoods and affordable housing to clean parks, thriving small businesses, and a City Hall that finally earns the public’s trust, we’re ready to get to work.
“Tonight, we celebrate not just a victory, but a new beginning for Miami — a city that belongs to all of us, and a future we will build together. ¡Vamos a trabajar!“
Even Gonzalez reached out to congratulate her and offer his experience and anything she may need. “I’m happy to help her out,” said Gonzalez, who had, just a few weeks ago, called Higgins a commie who would undermine Trump’s agenda. “If she succeeds, Miami succeeds,” he told Political Cortadito.
Let’s be real, however: This might be a fresh start, but there’s a long to-do list. Higgins is walking into a City Hall that needs spiritual cleansing, forensic auditing, and maybe one of those heavy-duty industrial pressure washers they use to clean I-95 overpasses. She inherits a City Hall plagued by scandals and controversies — from the manager’s wife’s furniture sales to the legal costs of City Commissioner Joe Carollo‘s many lawsuits to the giveaway of the Olympia Theater and, possibly, Watson Island (more on that later).
Read related: Miami’s Watson Island liquidation sale to developers for lowball $25 million
Sure, the Democratic Party is going to spin this as a comeback, a proof-of-concept, a miracle in the heart of Florida MAGA country. They’ll tweet their little tweets. They’ll take their little victory laps.
But the truth is simpler: Miami voters finally demanded something different, something — dare Ladra say — better.
They demanded decency. They demanded honesty. They demanded a mayor who treats the job like a responsibility or a calling — not a self-interested opportunity. Higgins will have to prove herself — oh, Ladra will be watching — but tonight, she gets her moment. And Miami gets its first glimmer of hope in a long, messy, scandal-plagued decade.
And tomorrow? Vamos a trabajar.

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