Voters in Miami have elected their first woman mayor — a historic milestone with national implications for next year’s midterm elections.

Eileen Higgins’ win on Tuesday in a special runoff election to oversee Florida’s second largest city marks the first time in nearly 30 years that a Democrat will hold the mayor’s post. The former Miami-Dade County commissioner defeated Republican Emilio T. González, a former city manager who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

“Tonight, history was made,” Higgins told supporters during her victory speech. “Our city chose a new direction. So you chose competence over chaos, results over excuses, and a city government that finally works for you.”

The election is nonpartisan, but the matchup has been viewed as another barometer of Republicans’ possible 2026 performance. Democrats last month notched several wins in governor’s races, state legislative seats and local offices, a sign that voters may be souring on some of Trump’s policies. 

Higgins had momentum going into Tuesday. She won the November 4 election amid a crowded field but did not garner a majority of votes, triggering the runoff. She had support from the Democratic National Committee, and several Democrats with potential plans to run for president also campaigned for her in the final days of the race. Republicans, including Trump, had also put their political weight behind González.

The win puts a dent in what had been Republicans’ growing political dominance in South Florida. Democrats once considered Miami-Dade County, where Miami is located, a party stronghold. In 2024, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the most populous county in the state in decades, a sign of his popularity at the time with key Latinx voters who call the area home.

Higgins’ election is also a sharp contrast to her predecessor, Republican Francis Suarez, who leaned into masculinity politics during his term — in part by recording himself working out and posting the videos on social media. 

Her ascension means two women will be at the helm of local government in South Florida as Higgins joins Democrat Daniella Levine Cava, who was elected as county mayor in 2020.

Higgins alluded to the historic nature of her win in an interview with reporters on Tuesday night.

“I hope this just sends a message to any girls or teenagers out there that, of course you can be a mayor, of course you can be an engineer — you can be anything you want, but you got to study hard and work hard, and your dreams will come true.”