U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) endorsed Emilio Gonzalez for Miami mayor while speaking at the 2025 Miami-Dade Lincoln Day Dinner this week. The backing follows an endorsement last month from Sen. Ted Cruz, who also attended the dinner.
"Emilio, you are the candidate to lead Miami into the future," Donalds wrote on social media. "You have my complete support to be the next Mayor of #Miami!"
Gonzalez is currently in a run-off election against former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins after neither candidate received 50% of the vote last week.
The mayoral hopeful thanked Rep. Donalds for his endorsement on X.
"Our best days are still ahead of us," Gonzalez wrote. "Residents deserve common-sense government that safeguards our families and tax dollars."
Gov. Ron DeSantis also endorsed Gonzalez for mayor in September. His opponent, Higgins, is backed by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
In the original general election, Gonzalez received 19% of the vote, while Higgins earned 36% in the 13-candidate field. The rest of the vote went mostly to Ken Russell (18%) and Joe Carollo (11%).
Notably, former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez received 5% of the vote. Suarez endorsed Gonzalez for mayor this week.
Will Gonzalez's latest endorsement from Donalds give him an edge moving forward in the race?
After all, every point could matter. Donalds is also running for governor of Florida, and adding a high-profile name could help Gonzalez in Miami-Dade, which went for Gov. Ron DeSantis by 11 points in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Donald Trump also won Miami-Dade by 11 points over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. President Trump has not endorsed Gonzalez yet, but did endorse Donalds back in February.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has also not made a pick. Suarez, who is term-limited, made news after fighting with Gonzalez earlier this year to cancel the mayoral race and move it to 2026.
The Miami mayoral election is Dec. 9.
