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Mayoral election in Miami, Florida (2025)
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← 2021
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| 2025 Miami elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: September 20, 2025 |
| General election: November 4, 2025 Runoff election: November 18, 2025 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor |
| Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2025 |
Thirteen candidates are running in the nonpartisan election for mayor of the city of Miami, Florida, on November 4, 2025. If it is necessary, a runoff will be held on November 18, 2025. Incumbent Francis Suarez is term-limited. Five candidates lead in media attention, fundraising, and polling: Joe Carollo, Emilio Gonzalez, Eileen Higgins, Ken Russell, and Xavier Suarez.
On June 26, 2025, the Miami City Commission voted to postpone this election until 2026 in order to move city elections to even years.[1] On July 21, 2025, Circuit Court Judge Valerie R. Manno Schurr ruled that the ordinance conflicted with the Miami-Dade County charter because changing the city's election date would require a voter referendum. The ruling means that the election will take place on November 4.[2][3]
Joe Carollo, a city commissioner and former mayor, entered the race hours before the filing deadline.[4] Carollo and Xavier Suarez were mayoral candidates in 1997. Suarez was declared the winner until a Florida appeals court overturned his win on March 11, 1998, due to ballot fraud.[5][6] He has campaigned on his past experience as mayor and said he served "[during] the worst financial crisis in the history of Miami… and Joe Corollo was the mayor who looked for the solutions and led this city out of it."[7] Carollo is affiliated with the Republican Party.[8]
Gonzalez is a Florida Treasury Investment Council member and a former Miami city manager.[9] He is campaigning on reducing taxes and says, "We can eliminate property taxes for homestead property owners while protecting vital services like public safety and infrastructure."[10] He is also campaigning on reducing city work regulations, saying he would "build a workforce to overhaul permitting and licensing—sparking opportunity and empowering residents and entrepreneurs, not just the well-connected."[11] Gonzalez is affiliated with the Republican Party.[12]
Higgins was a commissioner for District 5 on the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners.[13] She is campaigning on affordability, and her website says she would support "cutting through red tape and ending corruption so that our city’s government can get to work creating a prosperous and affordable future for all residents."[14] Higgins is also campaigning on improving the city's resilience to environmental disasters. Her website says she will "protect Biscayne Bay, invest in flood mitigations, and secure a resilient future for our city."[14] Higgins is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[12]
Russell is a former commissioner for the city of Miami.[13] Russell is campaigning on affordable housing and said, "The government has to step in and create the right atmosphere and incentives for the world of development to provide the product that we want."[13] Russell is also campaigning on expanding the city commission from five seats to seven, saying it would "really help increase accountability and local representation."[13] Russell is affiliated with the Democratic Party.[12]
Suarez served as mayor of Miami from 1985 to 1993 and from 1997 to 1998, and is the father of incumbent Francis Suarez.[15] He is campaigning on his experience in government and as a private citizen, writing in an opinion piece that he would bring "perspective, steadiness and an even deeper sense of purpose. I can still think, handle public speaking and take decisive action."[15] Suarez is also campaigning on public transportation and writes that he is "pushing to extend free public transit countywide."[15] Suarez is not affiliated with a party.[16]
The changing of election dates has become an issue in the race. Gonzalez sued the city over the ordinance and said, "If we want to move our election, we should ask the voters."[17] Higgins proposed a new referendum to move election years, saying she supports "shortening the next Mayor’s term and putting the question on the 2026 ballot to modernize our democracy without undermining it."[18] Russell opposed the move, calling it a "slippery slope of bad government — where you have good intentions, but you start bending the rules to get there," and supported letting voters weigh in on the issue.[19][20] Suarez supported both moving elections to even years and Gonzalez's lawsuit. Suarez said that he was "directly involved in the selection of counsel and contributed significantly to the strategic approach."[21]
Laura Anderson, Elijah Bowdre, Christian Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, Kenneth DeSantis, Alex Díaz de la Portilla, Michael A. Hepburn, and June Savage are also running.
As of 2025, Miami has term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors can serve two consecutive four-year terms and can run again after a four year break.
Elections
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Candidates and results
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Mayor of Miami
The following candidates are running in the general election for Mayor of Miami on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)  | |
| Elijah Bowdre (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Joe Carollo (Nonpartisan) | |
| Christian Cevallos (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan) | |
| Kenneth DeSantis (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Alex Díaz de la Portilla (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Emilio Gonzalez (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Michael Hepburn (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Eileen Higgins (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Ken Russell (Nonpartisan) | |
| June Savage (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Xavier Suarez (Nonpartisan) | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ijamyn Gray (Nonpartisan)
- Max Martinez (Nonpartisan)
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Florida elections, 2025
June 3, 2025
November 4, 2025
- City elections in Miami, Florida (2025)
- City elections in Hialeah, Florida (2025)
- Mayoral election in Hialeah, Florida (2025)
- Miami, Florida, Referendum 1, Establishing a Charter Review Commission Amendment (November 2025)
- Miami, Florida, Referendum 2, Authorization of Non-Waterfront Property Sales or Leases Amendment (November 2025)
- Miami, Florida, Referendum 3, Redistricting Rules and Establishing a Citizens' Redistricting Committee Amendment (November 2025)
- Miami, Florida, Referendum 4, Term Limits for the Mayor and Commissioner Amendment (November 2025)
December 9, 2025
Voting information
The following information comes from the website for the City of Miami:
- Voting Hours: November 4, 2025, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Last day to request a mail ballot: October 24, 2025 5 p.m.
- Deadline to return a mail ballot: November 4, 2025, 7 p.m.
- Deadline to cure a mail ballot: November 6, 2025, 5 p.m.
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Laura Anderson joined the Socialist Workers Party in the early 1990s after being involved in the fights to push back attacks on immigrant workers under Proposition 187 in Los Angeles, in protests against the LAPD beating of Rodney King and in joining an International Youth brigade to Cuba to learn from the living socialist revolution there. She realized that joining the Socialist Workers Party was the most effective way to advance workers struggles worldwide. She has joined actions demanding Moscow Out of Ukraine and calls for the US Out of Europe. She defends Israel’s right to exist as a refuge for the Jews and for the defeat of Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 pogrom signaled their intention to carry out another Holocaust. She has joined actions in the Miami organized to fight anti-Semitism including the murder of two youth outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. Anderson is a union freight rail conductor in SMART TD Local 1138 in Miami and has walked picket lines with the members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, with autoworkers, postal workers and food concession workers in Miami as they have fought with their unions to win better wages and working conditions."
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am Alyssa Crocker, a Black biracial mother with two special-needs boys—one with autism and the other with a rare genetic disorder—and a legislative advocate running for Mayor of Miami. My roots run deep in this city: my first apartment was in Little Haiti, and my family has strong ties to Liberty City. I also have family in Miami Shores and Miami Gardens, giving me a lifelong connection to Greater Miami-Dade. Raising two children with disabilities has given me firsthand experience with the challenges families face—from accessing affordable healthcare and education support to navigating systems that too often overlook their needs. That perspective drives my belief that leadership must be transparent, fiscally responsible, and relentless in putting people first. My journey into public service began after the death of my father, Dr. Derek Crocker, due to medical negligence at North Shore Medical Center. That tragedy gave me a mission: to fight for accountability in institutions and transparency in government. Since then, I have worked on bipartisan reforms in Tallahassee, building coalitions across political lines to deliver results. Miami deserves leadership that is honest, fiscally responsible, unafraid of tough decisions, and relentless in working for every family and every neighborhood."
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Gonzalez earned a bachelor's degree in international studies from the University of South Florida in 1977, a master's in Latin American Studies from Tulane University in 1986, a master's in National Security & Strategic Studies from the Naval Academy in 1994, and a Ph.D in international relations from the University of Miami in 1997. His work experience included serving in the military, as head of Citizenship and Immigration Services, as city manager of Miami, and as an investment councilmember for the Florida Department of Financial Services.
Show sources
Sources: Floridian Press, "Gonzalez Pitches Eliminating Property Taxes for Homestead Residents in 'Second Pillar' of Miami Mayoral Campaign," August 18, 2025; Emilio Gonzalez 2025 campaign website, "Emilio T. Gonzalez’s Plan to Fix What’s Broken in Miami," accessed August 20, 2025; Emilio Gonzalez 2025 campaign website, "CAMPAIGN STATEMENT: With the Election Secured, Emilio Gonzalez Announces First Pillar of His Campaign: Real Reform and Accountability for Miami," August 11, 2025 ; LinkedIn, "Emilio Gonzalez," accessed August 22, 2025
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Miami Board of Commissioners, District 5 (Assumed office: 2018)
Biography: Higgins earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico in 1987 and a master's in business administration from Cornell University in 1989. She previously worked as an engineer and as a foreign service officer for the Department of State.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Miami Board of Commissioners, District 2 (2015-2022)
Biography: Russell earned a bachelor's degree in international marketing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995, a minor in Japanese from Kwansei Gakuin University in 1994, and a nonprofit management certificate from Cornell University in 2024. His work experience included owning small businesses.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Miami Board of Commissioners, District 7, (2011-2020)
- Mayor of Miami (1985-1993, 1997-1998)
Biography: Suarez earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University in 1971, a master's in public policy from Harvard University in 1975, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. His work experience included being an attorney and an author.
Show sources
Sources: Miami Herald, "Some think I’m too old to be the mayor of Miami. Here’s why they’re wrong | Opinion," July 29, 2025; Political Cortadito, "Former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez to file for crowded city mayoral race," July 22, 2025; Florida International University, "Xavier L. Suarez," accessed August 22, 2025; X, "Xavier L. Suarez on X," accesed August 22, 2025
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
This world situation is driving attacks on our Constitutional protections. As workers, we must defend the right to freedom of speech, of worship, of assembly and due process. We must oppose the arrests and deportations of fellow workers, a life and death question for our unions and for uniting the working class. We call for Amnesty for all undocumented workers.
The Miami Herald just reported, “More than half of Miamians can barely make ends meet.” An increasing number of workers, including full-time workers, cannot afford a place to live. Unions need to organize the unorganized, so we can fight for jobs for all at union scale wages, for a sliding scale of wages and hours. Safety is compromised in every industry with more workers injured and killed on the job. We need union run safety committees to ensure that no worker has to die on the job.
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Miami must prepare for the future with resilient infrastructure. As mayor, I will push the commission to prioritize long-term, fiscally responsible investments—modernizing stormwater systems, restoring wetlands, and addressing flooding while protecting taxpayers.
Accountability and transparency are at the core of my leadership. I will use the power of the mayor’s office to demand honest governance, responsible use of taxpayer dollars, and equal representation—from Liberty City to Little Haiti to Coconut Grove.
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Explains the difference between Affirmative Action that was fought for in working-class struggle compared to the diversity and Inclusion used today by the "enlightened meritocracy" to justify their privileges and wealth.
Tells the story of forging of the Black Nationality in struggle in the U.S. and its connection with the world revolution.
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Alyssa Crocker (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
Laura Anderson (Nonpartisan)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
- Alex Díaz de la Portilla
- Christian Cevallos
- Elijah Bowdre
- Emilio Gonzalez
- June Savage
- Kenneth DeSantis
- Michael Hepburn
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Emilio Gonzalez
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Emilio Gonzalez while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Eileen Higgins
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Eileen Higgins while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Ken Russell
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Ken Russell while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Xavier Suarez
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Xavier Suarez while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia researchers did not identify any candidate websites that provide endorsement information. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election spending
Campaign finance information could be found at the City of Miami's campaign finance website.
Mayoral partisanship
Miami has a Republican mayor. As of October 2025, 66 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 23 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, three are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.
Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.
Help inform our readers
Take our candidate survey
- See also: Survey
At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.
If you are a candidate, take our survey here. Or you can ask a candidate to take the survey by sharing the link with them.
Submit endorsements
Endorsements can be particularly helpful for voters trying to decide between candidates in local races, which often feature nonpartisan candidates. Endorsements from individuals and organizations can help voters better understand policy differences between candidates in these cases where little or no other news coverage of policy stances exists.
Candidates, share endorsements here. Readers, share endorsements you know about here.
About the city
- See also: Miami, Florida
Miami is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of 2020, its population was 442,241.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Miami uses a "mayor-city commissioner plan." In this form of municipal government, an elected board of commissioners serves as the city's primary legislative body while a mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor appoints an administrative executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement city policies.[22]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Miami, Florida | ||
|---|---|---|
| Miami | Florida | |
| Population | 442,241 | 21,538,187 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 35 | 53,653 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 65.4% | 71.6% |
| Black/African American | 16% | 15.9% |
| Asian | 1.3% | 2.8% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | N/A | 3.3% |
| Multiple | 12.6% | 6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 72.5% | 25.8% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 78.3% | 88.5% |
| College graduation rate | 31.5% | 30.5% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $44,268 | $57,703 |
| Persons below poverty level | 21.5% | 13.3% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
2025 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This is a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections include:
- Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2025)
- Mayoral election in St. Louis, Missouri, 2025 (March 4 top-two primary)
- New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2026
See also
| Miami, Florida | Florida | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ NBC 6 South Florida, "Miami commissioners vote to move elections to even years, despite AG's warning," June 26, 2025
- ↑ The New York Times, "Miami Can’t Delay Its Election by a Year, Judge Rules," July 21, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "Miami's decision to postpone 2025 election without voter approval unconstitutional, judge rules," July 21, 2025
- ↑ WSVN, "Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo enters city’s mayoral race, says it’s his last public office bid," September 21, 2025
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Xavier Suarez, Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, plans to run for mayor again," July 21, 2025
- ↑ CNN, "Court Reinstates Carollo As Miami's Mayor," March 11, 1998
- ↑ Political Cortadito, "Commisioner Joe Carollo files initial paperwork to run for Miami mayor," September 19, 2025
- ↑ NBC Miami, "Joe Carollo Wins Miami Commission District 3 Seat in Run-Off," November 21, 2017
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Emilio Gonzalez," accessed August 20, 2025
- ↑ Floridian Press, "Gonzalez Pitches Eliminating Property Taxes for Homestead Residents in 'Second Pillar' of Miami Mayoral Campaign," August 18, 2025
- ↑ Emilio Gonzalez 2025 campaign website, "Emilio T. Gonzalez’s Plan to Fix What’s Broken in Miami," accessed August 20, 2025
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Florida Politics, "Poll: Eileen Higgins leads race for Miami Mayor, but not enough to avoid a runoff," August 7, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Caplin News, "Meet the 2025 City of Miami mayoral candidates," June 23, 2025
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Eileen Higgins 2025 campaign website, "Homepage," accessed August 20, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Miami Herald, "Some think I’m too old to be the mayor of Miami. Here’s why they’re wrong | Opinion," July 29, 2025
- ↑ Miami Times Online, "Days from deadline, just 5 of 13 active candidates have qualified for Miami Mayor’s race," September 18, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "Mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez sues City of Miami over postponed 2025 election," July 8, 2025
- ↑ Florida Politics, "‘Reprehensible’: Emilio González, Eileen Higgins slam Miami’s ongoing bid to delay election," August 7, 2025
- ↑ Miami Herald, "It’s official: Miami cancels November election, postpones it to 2026," June 26, 2025
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Outrage followed Miami’s vote to move election. Now some are trying to reverse it," July 4, 2025
- ↑ Political Cortadito, "Former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez to file for crowded city mayoral race," July 22, 2025
- ↑ Miami City Charter, Sec. 4a, accessed October 22, 2014
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