On Tuesday, December 9, the city of Miami will elect a new mayor to succeed Francis Suarez. The main candidates are Democrat Christine Higgins, who received the highest percentage of votes in the first round in November, and Republican Emilio Gonzalez, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Although the race is non-partisan, Higgins, a former commissioner, has a chance to become Miami's first Democratic mayor in over 30 years if she defeats Gonzalez, a Cuban-American who served as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from December 2005 to April 2008. In the first round on November 4, the 61-year-old Democrat secured 36% of the vote, compared to 19% for the 68-year-old Gonzalez. The winner will replace Suarez, of Cuban origin, who took office as mayor in November 2017 and briefly ran for president in 2024. Miami, with a population of nearly 500,000 and one of the highest population densities among major U.S. cities, faces strong tensions over the cost of living and housing availability. Higgins has focused her campaign on managing the rising cost of living, strengthening transparency in municipal government, and improving basic services. Gonzalez, a retired Air Force colonel and former city administrator under Suarez, has emphasized public safety, economic growth, and emergency management, leveraging his military and administrative experience. The Cuban-American politician seeks to capitalize on the support of the conservative movement and continue Suarez's political line, one of Trump's most visible allies in Florida. Suarez and three of Miami's five commissioners unsuccessfully attempted this year to postpone the mayoral election to November 2026, arguing the measure would save money and increase turnout.
