Eileen Higgins, Emilio Gonzalez headed to runoff in Miami mayor's race
Miami voters will return to the polls in December after County Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez finished as the top two candidates in Tuesday's mayoral election but fell short of the majority needed to win outright.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Higgins led the crowded field with 36% of the vote (13,325 votes), followed by Gonzalez with 19% (7,214 votes), according to the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections website.
Because no candidate surpassed the 50% threshold, city rules require a runoff between the top two finishers.
Former city commissioner Ken Russell came in third with 18%, while ex-Mayor Joe Carollo followed with 11%. Other candidates, including Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Xavier Suarez, both with about 5%, trailed behind in the 13-person race.
Higgins, who represents parts of central Miami-Dade County on the commission, campaigned on government transparency, affordable housing, and restoring trust in City Hall after years of political infighting and corruption scandals.
Gonzalez, a retired Air Force colonel and former head of the city's administration under Mayor Francis Suarez, ran on a platform of leadership experience and fiscal discipline.
The runoff election between Higgins and Gonzalez is scheduled for Dec. 9, when voters will decide who will lead Miami for the next four years.