Elections in Miami, Florida, are not over yet. Magic City’s voters still have to choose their next mayor, and their choice could show how the city’s political leaning has evolved ahead of the 2026 midterms.

A crowded pool of 13 mayoral candidates was on the Nov. 4 ballot, but none attracted the majority needed to win. So, a runoff between the two highest-polling picks from that night was scheduled for Dec. 9.

The choice is between retired Col. Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager, and former County Commissioner Eileen Higgins.

Miami’s mayor is technically a nonpartisan position. However, Gonzalez is favored by Republicans, while Higgins’s base is in the Democratic Party.

In fact, most of Florida’s prominent party members have openly endorsed their candidates.

This includes Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump for Gonzalez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for Higgins.

“A very successful Businessman, Civic Leader, former CEO of Miami International Airport, and former City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Miami, Emilio has dedicated his life to serving his Community,” Trump said in a Truth Social Post endorsing Gonzalez.

“As the former Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and a brave U.S. Army Veteran, Emilio strongly supports our incredible Law Enforcement, Military, and Veterans, and knows the Wisdom and Courage it takes to ensure LAW AND ORDER.”

Miami and most of Southeast Florida have long been Democratic strongholds in the Sunshine State.

Five of the state’s eight Democratic congressmen and women represent districts in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.

But Miami is no stranger to a Republican mayor.

Its current mayor, Francis Suarez, will complete his second consecutive term, during which time he ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign against Trump and DeSantis.

Meanwhile, the Florida Democratic Party said in a post on X: “We are on the verge of making history.

“Democrat Eileen Higgins can become the first woman mayor in Miami history and first Democrat to hold the seat since the 1990s.”

The greater Miami-Dade County area voted for Trump in the 2024 election, marking the first time the county went red in decades.

Florida’s 27th Congressional District, which includes the southern portions of Miami, was won by Republican Maria Salazar.

Voter registration also appeared to show the GOP gained an overall edge over its rival party since that November.

“I proudly endorse Emilio González for mayor,” Salazar said in a recent X post. “He is a veteran, a humble public servant, and one of the most qualified leaders who has ever aspired to this position.

“Emilio understands the needs of our communities, knows how Miami works, and has a serious plan to improve our city.”

As far as priorities go, Gonzalez is running on instituting property tax reform, overhauling licensing and permitting in favor of entrepreneurs, increasing the number of police officers, optimizing capital investments that prioritize residents, and cutting spending.

Meanwhile, Higgins is campaigning on a promise to invest in the city’s “resilience,” focusing on upgrading aspects of the city’s public transportation system and utilizing an increase in housing as a means to combat the city’s affordability issues.

Gonzalez and other Republicans have criticized Higgins across social media as being a democratic socialist whose election could be a continuation of a trend started by Zohran Mamdani’s rise to New York City’s mayoral office.

However, unlike Mamdani, Higgins has not admitted to being a socialist.

Previously representing a district that includes a part of Miami’s Little Havana, which leans conservative, she proudly wears the term “La Gringa,” which refers to a white American woman, and pitched herself as someone who prioritizes people over party.

“I have been a Democrat serving in a primarily Republican district, and all I have done is work for the people,” she said.

Both candidates advertised themselves as a tool to end the city’s longstanding problem with corruption.

Numbers from November’s election night seemed to indicate that Gonzalez was the one with the uphill battle.

Higgins earned just under 40 percent of the vote last month, while Gonzalez followed with a little less than 20 percent.

However, the Republicans appear to have closed the gap during the early voting period from Dec. 5–Dec. 7.

In a statement shared with The Epoch Times, Gonzalez’s campaign said he leads by 415 votes ahead of Higgins in in-person early voting.

That early-voter turnout exceeded that of the Nov. 4 election, and his team was able to cut the Democrats’ advantage in in-person voting and vote-by-mail by half. Non-party affiliate voters also have his campaign’s focus.

“We take nothing for granted,” a campaign spokesperson told The Epoch Times. “This will be a close race. We are engaged with the community, and their hard work and enthusiasm will help us get Emilio Gonzalez across the finish line.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.