MIAMI—Retired U.S. Army Colonel Emilio Gonzalez has emerged as the financial frontrunner in the 2025 Miami mayoral race, significantly outpacing Democratic Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins in the initial fundraising period.
Gonzalez's campaign, focused on "restoring democracy in Miami," has quickly garnered substantial grassroots support.
Gonzalez's official campaign committee reported raising $69,280 in the first quarter, with over 34.5% of contributions coming from small-dollar donors. Bolstering his campaign is the political committee Mission Miami, which raised an additional $680,955, bringing Gonzalez’s total support to an impressive $750,235.
This substantial fundraising success coincides with Gonzalez's legal challenge against the City Commission's decision to cancel the November 2025 mayoral and commission elections.
"Miami’s political establishment is rattled by my new and strong approach to tackling the city’s pressing issues—skyrocketing property taxes, inadequate transportation, and rising crime—challenges they’ve failed to address despite being elected to do so,” stated Gonzalez. "This campaign is powered by everyday Miamians who are ready to take their city back—and that terrifies the political elite.”
Mission Miami’s spokesperson described the overwhelming early financial support as "the start of a movement" to combat what many view as an unconstitutional power grab.
“The entrenched political establishment thought they could cancel an election and no one would notice,” the spokesperson added. “But the people of Miami are awake, engaged, and ready to take back their city.”
In contrast, Eileen Higgins, the only other candidate with significant name recognition, posted a considerably lower fundraising total. Higgins raised $88,325 through her hard-money campaign account and an additional $250,800 through her newly formed local political committee, Ethical Leadership for Miami, for a combined total of $339,125 since entering the race.
While Higgins has also cited the state-level political committee Rebranding Politics, chaired by her longtime consultant Christian Ulvert, as part of her campaign war chest, this committee raised no funds this quarter and only $5,000 in all of 2025.
The majority of its $470,000 in cash on hand stems from contributions made in 2020 and 2022, potentially intended for other clients or efforts. The inclusion of this account to project a larger financial advantage has prompted questions among observers regarding transparency and accuracy.
A direct comparison of funds raised since the launch of their respective campaigns reveals a stark difference: Gonzalez and Mission Miami have collectively raised over $750,000, while Higgins’ combined fundraising totals just $339,000—less than half of Gonzalez's total.
"This isn’t just another election—it’s a referendum on out-of-touch and weak politics-as-usual, and a fight to secure the future of the Miami we cherish,” Gonzalez affirmed. "Miamians are rallying to our fight for restoring the election … We won’t allow them to erase our voices.”
As the legal battle continues and the campaign intensifies, Miamians are urged to stay engaged and informed about this critical election.
