President Donald Trump has endorsed Emilio Gonzalez, a Republican aligned with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, in the upcoming Miami mayoral runoff election. The endorsement was announced over the weekend on Truth Social, where Trump praised Gonzalez, a former Miami city manager, for his leadership and policy priorities.
In his statement, Trump said: “As Miami’s next mayor, he will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our now very secure border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Gonzalez is competing against Eileen Higgins in the December 9 runoff after both advanced from a crowded field of 13 candidates in the November 4 election. Higgins received 36 percent of the vote while Gonzalez secured 19.5 percent.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Congressman Byron Donalds have also expressed their support for Gonzalez. However, it remains unclear if these endorsements will help him attract financial backing from South Florida’s real estate sector.
Higgins’ campaign responded by emphasizing her cross-party appeal and ongoing momentum: “Eileen has been elected three times by Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike because she shows up, solves problems and delivers for everyone,” according to a campaign statement.
Gonzalez’s Mission Miami political action committee raised $651,215 for the general election but did not receive significant contributions from leading developers or real estate investors. Six entities connected to business partners Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla contributed a total of $20,000. Fuller and Pinilla are developers who won a $63 million verdict against former city commissioner Joe Carollo last year; Gonzalez testified that Carollo pressured city staff to target their businesses with code violations.
Campaign finance reports indicate that Carollo and Higgins attracted most donations from real estate interests during their campaigns. Some donors contributed to both candidates; for example, law firm Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes donated $10,000 each to PACs supporting Carollo and Higgins respectively. On Monday, this law firm co-hosted a fundraiser for Higgins at Brightline Station in downtown Miami alongside executives from Florida East Coast Industries and Adler Properties.
State law caps individual contributions to campaigns at $1,000 but does not limit donations to political action committees (PACs).
The Florida Democratic Party is supporting Higgins with mailers critical of Gonzalez’s time as city manager between 2017 and 2020. Despite this support from party organizations on both sides of the aisle, Higgins’ campaign maintains its focus is local issues rather than national politics.
“The only person trying to inject partisan politics into this race is her opponent, who continues to chase out-of-town endorsements instead of focusing on the issues Miami residents face every day,” said her campaign in a statement. “Eileen’s campaign is powered by the people who know this city best — Miamians who want affordability, safer neighborhoods and a City Hall they can trust.”
