Who is Eileen Higgins, Miami's first Democratic mayor in 30 years
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Miami Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins celebrates her runoff victory over Emilio González at her election night party at the Miami Women's Club on Dec. 9, 2025. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Eileen Higgins defeated a Trump-backed candidate Tuesday night in a runoff election to become Miami's next mayor.
Why it matters: Higgins becomes the first Democrat to win the position in nearly 30 years, overcoming a recent trend of Republican gains in South Florida. She is also the first woman to be elected mayor of Miami.
- Higgins, a staple in the Miami area, has teased larger political campaigns in the past and has spent time testifying before Congress.
Driving the news: Higgins defeated Emilio González, a Republican supported by Trump, in the Miami race.
- Higgins and González ran on anti-corruption platforms following years of political scandal in the government.
- "I've never been prouder to be a Democrat," Higgins told AP. "We're living in the state of Florida, where we have people that are building cages for our residents rather than affordable housing for them."
Here's what we know about Higgins.
Where Higgins was before Miami
Higgins hasn't always been a Miami staple.
- She attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she earned a bachelor degree of science.
- She later attended Cornell University, where she earned a master's of business administration, per her LinkedIn biography.
- Higgins says in her LinkedIn bio that she is "an engineer by trade" and "a problem solver."
- She also touts that she's implemented AI, policies around electric vehicles and housing affordability plans throughout her career.
Zoom in: On Instagram, she touts herself as a "bookworm," "transit rider" and "Miami dreamer." Her Facebook page describes her as a "blue sky lover" and "warm day fanatic."
Higgins' career in Miami
Higgins has been serving in Miami for nearly a decade.
- Higgins volunteered for a number of council and task forces in Miami. She also volunteered for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, per her LinkedIn page.
- She was the Peace Corps director in Belize, per Politico, and served as a foreign service officer for the U.S. State Department, according to her LinkedIn page.
But her career took off as she became the Miami-Dade county commissioner in 2018, when she gave herself the nickname "La Gringa."
- She held the position ever since, even winning automatic re-election last year.
- Higgins decided to run for Miami mayor in 2025, which forced her to resign from her commission post due to Florida law. Her resignation became official in November.
Higgins has testified before Congress
Flashback: In 2020, Higgins and Esteban Barrios, an airport worker from Miami International Airport, testified before Congress about dangerous working conditions and low wages for airport contractor workers, per the Miami Herald.
- Higgins and Barrios, who had protested together for better airport working conditions in the past, urged members of a House subcommittee to call on airlines to hire companies that pay workers fair wages.
- They also called on these companies to prioritize safety, the Herald reports.
Higgins nearly ran for Congress
Higgins teased a congressional run a few years back, but ultimately decided against it.
- She said she planned to run for Congress in May 2022, seeking the Congressional District 27 seat in a challenge to incumbent Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar.
- Higgins said at the time that Salazar had "voted against the best interest of the people" within the district, per CBS Miami.
Yes, but: Higgins ultimately bowed out to avoid a Democratic primary against Annette Taddeo, a former Florida state senator who dropped out of the 2022 Florida gubernatorial race to run for the congressional seat.
- Higgins said at the time she had hoped to "fix the mess in Washington, D.C.," but instead chose to keep her commission post.
- She then endorsed Taddeo, who ultimately lost the congressional race to Salazar.
Higgins policy plan as Miami mayor
Higgins was backed by the Democratic National Committee for her Miami race.
- On Tuesday night, she drew support from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the victory: "Congratulations to Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins on crushing Donald Trump's candidate!"
Higgins campaigned on improving the city's permitting process, upgrading Miami's trolleys and investing in environmental resilience, Axios' Jeff Weiner writes.
- Her campaign website promotes restoring trust in city hall, building affordable housing, funding police and first responders, enhancing travel experiences in the city and promoting environmentally-friendly policies.
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