– Europa Press/Contact/Carl Juste
MADRID, December 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Democrat Eileen Higgins won Miami’s mayoral election on Tuesday, defeating Republican Emilio González, whom United States President Donald Trump reportedly supported. Higgins will thus become the first representative of the Democratic Party to govern the most populous city in the state of Florida in almost 30 years.
Higgins, who, according to NBC projections, won 59 percent of the vote to González’s 41 percent in the second round of elections, celebrated through his Facebook account a victory with which he hopes Miami can “open the door to a new era for our city, defined by ethical and responsible leadership that generates real results for the people.”
“Tonight, we celebrate not only a victory, but a new beginning for Miami: a city that belongs to us all and a future that we will build together,” he added.
Both candidates focused their campaigns on distancing themselves from previous mayors and responding to the population’s economic concerns. However, Higgins criticized Trump – and for his support of González – because of his immigration policies and the deportation campaign undertaken by his administration, which she said has led Hispanic and Haitian voters to be “afraid of their government.”
However, González, who already called Higgins to wish him “success”, did not present himself as a supporter of the Republican tycoon and focused his message on local problems, notably on urban planning, trying to deflect criticism derived from the policies of the tenant of the White House.
Since 1997, the Democrats had not seen one of their candidates occupy the local government post and this legislature lasted only four months, due to elections marked by electoral fraud. Since then, the mayor’s office has been awarded to a Republican politician in all legislatures, with the exception of the two legislative elections won by independent Manny Díaz between 2001 and 2009.
About The Author
