President Donald Trump, unsurprisingly, is picking a MAGA Republican to be the next Miami mayor. But real estate industry titans are circling the wagons for the moderate Democrat for the supposedly non-partisan runoff on Dec. 9.
Over the weekend, Trump, whose presidential library could be built in downtown Miami, posted on Truth Social that he’s endorsing Emilio Gonzalez, the former Miami city manager who successfully sued the city to keep this year’s election on track.
Despite misspelling Gonzalez’s last name twice in his post, Trump lauded the ex-city top bureaucrat:
“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,” Trump wrote.
While none of those issues may be top of mind for most Miami residents, Trump’s endorsement could help Gonzalez close the gap with voters, as he attempts to gain ground against Eileen Higgins, the former Miami-Dade County commissioner. She landed in first place in the Nov. 4 election that featured a crowded field of 13 candidates, which forced a runoff because no one got more than 50 percent of the votes. Higgins picked up 36 percent of the votes, while Gonzalez nabbed 19.5 percent for second place.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and congressman Byron Donalds, another MAGA Republican who is running for governor next year, also endorsed Gonzalez. Whether the president’s seal of approval helps Gonzalez pick up financial support from South Florida’s real estate industry remains to be seen.
In a statement, Higgins’ campaign said she still has momentum based on “the broad, diverse coalition of support she has built.”
“Eileen has been elected three times by Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike because she shows up, solves problems and delivers for everyone,” the statement said.
Gonzalez did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His Mission Miami political action committee raised $651,215 for the Nov. 4 election, despite a lack of donations from prominent developers, land use attorneys and real estate investors. Gonzalez’s PAC did receive a combined $20,000 from six entities tied to business partners Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla. The duo are developers and landlords primarily focused in Little Havana who won a $63 million verdict against ex-Miami city commissioner Joe Carollo in 2023.
Gonzalez testified on behalf of Fuller and Pinilla that Carollo pressured him and other city staffers to target businesses the developers owned for code violations. Carollo also ran for mayor, and came in fourth place, despite collecting nearly $1 million for his Miami First PAC.
Carollo and Higgins were the two mayoral candidates who garnered the most donations from real estate interests, campaign finance reports show. In some cases, high-profile donors gave to both Carollo and Higgins.
For instance, land use law firm Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes donated $10,000 each to Carollo’s Miami First PAC and Higgins’ Ethical Leadership for Miami committee. On Monday, the law firm also co-hosted a runoff fundraiser for Higgins at Brightline Station in downtown Miami.
The invitation shows the other co-hosts included Jose Gonzalez, executive vice-president of Florida East Coast Industries, Brightline’s parent company; Nelson Stabile, principal of Integra Investments; Jonathan Raiffe, CEO of Adler Properties; and Sara Adler, principal of Adler Properties.
Donors were asked to contribute the maximum $1,000 allowed by state law to Higgins’ individual campaign, or “unlimited funds” to Ethical Leadership for Miami. Under state law, no limit exists on how much money PACs can receive from a single donor.
Higgins is also receiving support from the Florida Democratic Party, which is paying for mailers trashing Gonzalez’s tenure as city manager from 2017 to 2020. Yet, her campaign denied she’s making it a left versus right affair.
“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,” the campaign said in its 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.”
