Miami voters made history in electing Eileen Higgins as their next mayor on Dec. 9. She is the first woman to hold the position, and the first Democrat elected in nearly 30 years.
Higgins, a former Miami-Dade County, Florida, commissioner, came in the lead in the Nov. 4 election, but faced Emilio González, a Republican backed by President Donald Trump, in the runoff on Dec. 9.
Democrats have been gaining ground after a bruising 2024 election, and though the Miami mayoral position is nonpartisan, some see it as a win for the party.
Trump flipped Miami-Dade County, which includes the city of Miami, in the 2024 presidential election. But Democrats have pointed to their recent victories as a sign of what’s to come in the 2026 midterm elections next year as voters still face a high cost of living.
Approval ratings: 2 latest states to flip negative on Trump
Trump had not publicly commented on Higgins as of Dec. 10 afternoon. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the race.
But Trump was if he was worried about the Democrats’ wins, including Miami, at a roundtable on Dec. 10.
“I don’t worry about it,” Trump said, touting his successes but explaining that it is common for the party in power to lose the midterms. “I wanna win. Winning the midterms is important. People want us to win the midterms, and I think we have great spirit. We should win the midterms.”
Trump endorsed Higgins’ Republican opponent
González, 68, is a retired Air Force colonel who served as a city manager under Mayor Francis Suarez, the outgoing mayor who is a Trump ally. Throughout the campaign, González focused on fighting back against corruption and “cronyism” in the city.
Trump last month endorsed González after he came in second in the Nov. 4 race. While the Miami mayoral position is non-partisan, Trump weighed in to back the Republican.
Trump in a Nov. 16 post on Truth Social, in which he misspelled González’s last name, said the Florida Republican would “NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The week of the runoff, Trump posted again on Truth Social, calling González “fantastic.”
Dem wins in recent elections could spell trouble for GOP in 2026
Democrats have secured several key wins throughout the 2025 off-year elections.
In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger soundly defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome-Earle Sears in their gubernatorial race last month. The state is home to thousands of federal workers affected by the government shutdown and cuts made by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
In New Jersey, Trump saw major gains in the 2024 presidential election. Still, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill was declared the winner over Republican businessman Jack Ciattarelli in their governor’s race.
While Democrats didn’t win in Tennessee’s comfortably Republican 7th Congressional District, Democrat Aftyn Behn cut into Trump’s 22-percentage point spread in the district. Behn lost by only 9 points to Trump-endorsed Matt Van Epps in their special election.
That’s the trend Democrats sought to continue in Miami’s mayoral race. The Democratic National Committee poured resources, including a bilingual organizing blitz, into the Miami area.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin called Higgins’ victory in the Miami mayoral election another “warning sign” to Republicans ahead of next year’s midterm races.
Martin credited Higgins’ focus on affordability – an issue many Democrats have emphasized during 2025’s off-year elections – as a reason she picked up the seat.
“Tonight’s result is yet another warning sign to Republicans that voters are fed up with their out-of-touch agenda that is raising costs for working families across the country,” Martin said in a statement.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump’s reaction to Eileen Higgins being elected Miami mayor
