South Florida witnessed a political earthquake this evening. For the first time in thirty years, Miami has elected a Democratic mayor, with former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins defeating Trump-backed Emilio Gonzalez. The result marks a dramatic turn in a city that has trended sharply to the right in recent years.
(Apologies for the lack of commas in an earlier post, Substack completely crapped out on me)
Independent journalism survives only when readers like you choose to invest in it. Your support ensures we can follow stories like these wherever they lead and tell the truth with clarity and conviction. Be part of the work that holds power to account and captures political change as it happens. Subscribe today for unmatched interviews, deep reporting and real-time political insight.
Subscribe
At the same time, another major political development unfolded in Texas. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett formally entered the U.S. Senate race, adding fresh momentum to a Democratic field eager to challenge Republican dominance. Her decision highlights a growing sense that political realignment may be emerging in unexpected places. Crockett spoke to me tonight about long-term leftward shifts in Texas, the crowded primary she is entering and the personal calculus behind her decision to run.
Higgins’ Miami campaign positioned itself as a corrective to the state’s hard-line policy direction, especially on immigration. She emphasized a need for leadership rooted in moral clarity and community-focused governance. Her message resonated with voters who have grown frustrated with the region’s increasingly divisive political climate.
Gonzalez, a former city manager and federal official, sought to present himself as a steady, experienced alternative. His close alignment with Trump, however, defined much of the race. Republican strategists hoped the runoff would reinforce their expanding influence in South Florida, but early voting quickly signaled a different outcome as Democratic turnout outpaced Republican participation.
Although the race was technically nonpartisan, national Democrats saw a rare opportunity in Florida and invested accordingly. Higgins drew support from nationally known figures and benefited from coordinated outreach efforts. Her first-place finish in the initial 13-person field, followed by strong early voting numbers, turned the runoff into a closely watched test of Democratic strength in a state where the party has struggled for years.
Republican leaders attempted to minimize the implications of the contest, pointing to past narrow margins for Democrats within the city. Yet the broader context tells a different story. Florida has become central to the modern Republican identity, and Miami-Dade County itself has shifted noticeably toward the GOP. A Democratic victory in the city that may one day host Trump’s presidential library disrupts that narrative and hints at undercurrents that Republicans can no longer take for granted.
Crockett’s Senate launch in Texas further underscores the sense that political terrain is not as fixed as it once seemed. She enters the race with a growing national profile, a strong legislative record and an appeal to the diverse coalition that Democrats see as vital to any statewide breakthrough. Her candidacy immediately reshapes expectations for the primary and injects new urgency into a state long considered an elusive prize.
Together, these developments reveal a political moment marked by movement and unpredictability. Miami’s historic win offers Democrats a symbolic foothold in one of the nation’s most challenging states, while Crockett’s entrance signals rising ambition in another. Whether these shifts represent isolated flashes or the start of a deeper transformation will become clearer in the months ahead.