Less than an hour after the polls closed, the results were announced by CNN and the AP news agency. Higgins was already 18 percentage points ahead of her Republican opponent Emilio Gonzalez, who was supported by President Donald Trump.
Although local elections in Miami normally attract little attention, they were seen this year as an important measure of voter sentiment. Democrats won a number of elections last month, including Zohran Mamdani’s election for mayor of New York. With the midterm elections in 2026, those victories are seen as a warning signal to the Republicans.
During her campaign, the 61-year-old Higgins promised to fight corruption, make housing more affordable and improve public transport.