Higgins leads Miami mayor's race, headed for runoff against Gonzalez
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Commissioner Eileen Higgins earlier this year. Photo: Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
A Democrat is leading the Miami mayor's race — but the campaign doesn't end on Election Day.
- None of the 13 candidates vying to replace outgoing Republican Mayor Francis Suarez received more than 50% of the vote, triggering a runoff election.
The big picture: The technically non-partisan race appears headed for a Dec. 9 runoff between Democrat Eileen Higgins and Republican Emilio Gonzalez, the top two vote-getters Tuesday night.
- Higgins, a Miami-Dade County Commissioner who resigned her position to run for mayor, earned nearly 36% of the vote — compared to 20% for Gonzalez, the former Miami city manager, according to preliminary election results with nearly all precincts reporting.
- Democrat Ken Russell was in third place with about 18%.
The intrigue: In a race featuring familiar faces like Commissioner Joe Carollo, ex-commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and former mayor Xavier Suarez, voters largely rejected members of Miami's political dynasties.
- They also approved a referendum that will create lifetime term limits for elected leaders.
By the numbers: Suarez, whose son is the current mayor, received just 5% of the vote, according to preliminary results.
- Diaz de la Portilla, a former state lawmaker whose brothers also served in elected office, received about 5%.
- Carollo, who served as Miami's mayor in the 1990s, received about 12%.
Yes, but: Voters did support former Commissioner Frank Carollo — Joe Carollo's brother — who appeared headed for a runoff election for the District 3 commission seat.
- Frank Carollo, who served as the District 3 commissioner from 2009 to 2017, led all candidates in the race with nearly 38% of the vote.
- Joe Carollo has occupied the seat since 2017.
- If his brother wins the runoff and serves a full term, that would mean a Carollo will have represented District 3 for 20 straight years, according to the Miami Herald.
That is, if Frank Carollo is allowed to serve. It's unclear how the term-limits referendum would impact his candidacy, the Herald reported.
- The referendum limits commissioners to two terms and Carollo is running for a third.
- Carollo will face Rolando Escalona in the Dec. 9 runoff.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Christine King cruised to re-election Tuesday.