Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, a Progressive Democrat with a long history in local political ranks, recently announced her candidacy to be the next mayor of the City of Miami. While officially nonpartisan, the mayoral race now has a clear ideological edge with Higgins bringing her Democratic brand front and center.
So who is Commissioner Eileen Higgins?
Higgins is currently county commissioner in District 5, which includes Miami and Miami Beach. She has held the position for seven years and was re-elected unopposed last year.
She also once ran as a Democrat for Congressional House District 27 in Miami-Dade in 2022 before backing out of the race to make way for eventual nominee Annette Taddeo.
Taddeo went on to lose in the general election to Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar by 15 points.
Higgins could be seen by Florida Democrats as their best shot at finally flipping the City of Miami to Democrat, but her candidacy could split the city’s small but energized Democratic base — especially with former Commissioner Ken Russell, another Democrat, already in the race.
While many state lawmakers and Florida homeowners are in position to support eliminating property taxes, Higgins is not.
Her potential victory this November could be a dramatic shift from current Miami Mayor Francis Saurez, a Republican by nature. Miami hasn't had a "Democrat" as mayor in over a decade.
Suarez is term-limited and cannot run for a third term. Higgins and former Miami city commissioner Ken Russell are two of several candidates looking to succeed him.
Notably, Russell also ran in the U.S. District 27 Democratic primary the same year Higgins dropped out. He got trounced by Taddeo by 42 points.
Higgins officially announced her candidacy for Miami mayor using a video message.
"We've had enough. Families are struggling. Businesses can't thrive. When city hall is filled with corruption, nothing gets done," Higgins said.
In her announcement, Higgins said she delivered as county commissioner by building 1000s of affordable housing units, investing millions to strengthen small businesses, and creating green spaces.
She indicated that, as mayor, Miami would have safe parks, beautiful neighborhoods, and affordable housing.
The general election is set for Nov. 4.
