Miami’s mayoral race is headed to a runoff between Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez after neither candidate secured a majority of votes in Tuesday’s election.
As of 10 p.m., Higgins led the field with 36% of the vote—more than 13,000 ballots—while Gonzalez trailed with 19%, receiving just over 7,000 votes.
Both contenders bring extensive political experience to the race. Higgins has centered her campaign on restoring trust in City Hall and tackling Miami’s affordability challenges, while Gonzalez has positioned himself as a candidate for change.
The two have also drawn high-profile endorsements—Higgins from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Gonzalez from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Earlier this year, Gonzalez successfully sued the city to prevent officials from delaying the election until 2026, a move the commission had attempted.
At their respective election-night gatherings, both candidates expressed optimism about the upcoming runoff.
“They know me from my work, and that’s what I am going to bring to City Hall,” Higgins said. “There’s not going to be drama, right? We’ve had all this drama and people yelling and all these corruption cases and scandals. That’s going to stop. There will be no drama, there will be no yelling, just hard work every day on behalf of the people.”
Gonzalez, meanwhile, pointed to his persistence and commitment to voters. “It’s been a lot of fun. I campaigned hard, I got the message out, and we needed to do something different—our residents need us to do something different,” he said. “Just the fact that I had to sue the city, we wouldn’t be here today, and that says a lot about my commitment to this community.”
The runoff election is scheduled for December 9.
