Eileen Higgins Voted In as First Democratic Mayor of Miami in 30 Years.

Democratic candidate Eileen Higgins has triumphed in the Miami mayoral race in the state of Florida, marking the first time a member of her party has achieved this in almost three decades.

A ex-county official, Higgins secured the runoff victory by garnering fifty-nine percent of the ballots, defeating her Republican competitor Emilio Gonzalez, who was supported by former President Trump and got close to 41 percent of the vote, per official results.

"Miami chose a different path... you chose competence over chaos," stated Higgins during her victory speech.

Higgins' success extends a streak of latest Democratic victories.

A Pioneering Victory on Several Levels

With her victory, Higgins, 61, also becomes the inaugural female to be voted into the office, US media reported.

Higgins stated her victory "heralds the commencement of the challenges to come" and vowed to confront the issues Miami is grappling with.

"I will govern a city that is for all its residents," she noted.

Election Platform and Contrast with Trump

Focusing her campaign on key topics including immigration and housing affordability, she worked to distinguish her governing approach against that of Trump.

In a this week's interview, Higgins observed: "He [Trump] and I have contrasting points of view on how we should approach our community members, a large portion of whom are immigrants."

During the city debate, she called the president's immigration enforcement "inhumane and cruel."

She vowed to work with the Trump administration on topics where they can find common ground, but "where our views differ, I'll make my voice heard," she said.

Political Backing and the Winning Campaign

Despite the race being officially without party labels, Higgins received the endorsement of a number of notable party leaders, including ex-cabinet official Pete Buttigieg.

Alongside Trump's endorsement, Gonzalez was also backed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Higgins now takes over from outgoing mayor Francis Suarez, who made a short-lived bid for the GOP presidential nomination.

Amid a Larger Wave

In the run-up to Higgins' win, the Democrats notched significant wins in the initial significant contests of Trump's second term in recent weeks.

• In NYC, a Democratic candidate defeated independent Andrew Cuomo.
• Abigail Spanberger won the governor's race in Virginia, flipping the office from GOP control.
• Mikie Sherrill was voted into the governor's office in the state of New Jersey.