The real estate sector strongly supported Eileen Higgins in the Miami mayoral runoff, leading to her victory over Emilio Gonzalez by an 18-point margin. Higgins secured 59 percent of the vote, while Gonzalez received 41 percent.
In the initial city election on November 4, Higgins led a field of 13 candidates with 36 percent of the vote, and Gonzalez followed with nearly 20 percent. Since no candidate achieved more than half the votes, a runoff was required.
Although Miami’s local elections are officially non-partisan, this race saw clear partisan divides. Gonzalez was endorsed by several prominent Republican figures from Florida, including President Donald Trump. On the other hand, both national and state Democratic parties invested heavily in support for Higgins through advertising and mailers. She also received endorsements from Democrats such as former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Higgins’ win marks her as Miami’s first female mayor and the first Democrat elected to this position in over twenty years.
Both candidates campaigned on promises to reform the city’s permitting process—a concern for both small business owners and major developers due to reported delays—and address housing affordability. Gonzalez proposed eliminating property taxes on homesteaded properties. Higgins highlighted her experience at Miami-Dade County where she approved projects that created nearly 7,000 affordable and workforce housing units.
Financial support from real estate interests favored Higgins significantly. Reports indicate she received nearly ten times more campaign donations from real estate professionals, corporations, and land use attorneys than her opponent after November 4. Her political action committee, Ethical Leadership for Miami—which is not required to disclose its next financial report until January—also likely benefited from substantial real estate contributions.
A recent fundraiser hosted by Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes at Brightline Station featured notable attendees such as Jose Gonzalez of Florida East Coast Industries; Nelson Stabile of Integra Investments; Jonathan Raiffe and Sara Adler of Adler Properties. Donors were asked for either the maximum $1,000 allowed per individual campaign or unlimited amounts for her PAC.
Higgins’ campaign finance records show she received $1,000 each from fourteen developers, corporations, and land use attorneys—including Jeff Berkowitz of Berkowitz Development Group and his wife Yolanda; Michael Liu of Swerdlow Group; Rilea Group; Iris Escarra; and Melissa Tapanes Llahues. Entities linked to Integra donated a total of $3,000; six connected to Adler contributed $6,000 combined.
Gonzalez collected $1,000 each from eleven real estate-related donors such as Alicia Cervera Lamadrid of Cervera Real Estate; Associated Builders & Contractors; and attorney Anthony De Yurre.
In other city elections held simultaneously, Rolando Escalona—a real estate broker—won an open city commission seat with 53 percent against Frank Carollo. This result ended the Carollo family’s long tenure in local politics. Bill Fuller, a developer who previously won a significant legal judgment against Joe Carollo (Frank’s brother), attended Escalona’s victory celebration.
Miami Beach voters chose Monica Matteo-Salinas for an open city commission seat with a decisive 71 percent majority over Monique Pardo Pope. During the campaign, Pardo Pope criticized Matteo-Salinas’ leadership at an affordable housing nonprofit accused of mismanagement according to reporting by the Miami Herald. Pardo Pope herself faced scrutiny after it was revealed that her late father had been executed for multiple murders and held Nazi sympathies—a fact brought forward by filmmaker Billy Corben along with evidence of social media posts idolizing him. In response to these revelations Pardo Pope stated: “I too am a victim in this.”
