Democrats see an opening to win the Miami mayor’s race in the latest test of the US political mood

MIAMI (AP) — It has been nearly three decades since a Democrat held the mayor’s office in Miami, a span of futility the party is hoping to reverse during a special runoff election this week in one of the last electoral showdowns before next year’s midterms.

While it is a local race, this election has become the latest test of the nation’s political mood nearly a year into President Donald Trump’s second term.

Trump and other big-name Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott, have weighed in for the conservative candidate, former city manager Emilio Gonzalez, in the otherwise nonpartisan race. Nationally known Democrats, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have offered support on behalf of Eileen Higgins, a Democrat who served on the county commission before winning a runoff spot last month.

An upset for the Democrats on Tuesday would give the party an additional burst of momentum heading into a crucial election year when control of Congress will be at stake, especially in a region that has become increasingly friendly turf for Republicans and where Trump plans to build his presidential library.

Higgins, who had represented a district that leans conservative and includes the Cuban enclave of Little Havana, proudly wears the label of “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use for white Americans. A Spanish speaker herself, Higgins has focused her campaign relentlessly on local issues such as the cost of housing while capitalizing on national ones, including the treatment of immigrants under the Trump administration in a city with sizable Hispanic and foreign-born populations.

“I have been a Democrat serving in a primarily Republican district, and all I have done is work for the people,” she told The Associated Press.

Miami is Florida’s second most populous city, behind Jacksonville, but is the epicenter of the state’s diverse culture and is among the nation’s most prominent international destinations, giving its mayor an outsize platform.

The city of 487,000 is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, handily defeating Democrat Kamala Harris after losing the county to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. A loss for Gonzalez would be perceived in Florida as a setback for the GOP and Trump.

Christian Ulvert, Higgins’ campaign manager, said early returns of mail ballots are encouraging. About 44% had been cast by registered Democrats as of Thursday, a day before early in-person voting began, compared with about 30% by registered Republicans.

“What you’re seeing is great Democratic enthusiasm and turnout that matches that enthusiasm,” he said.

Higgins, who would be the first non-Hispanic mayor of Miami in almost 30 years if elected, said she is confident she will receive support not only from Democrats, but also from unaffiliated voters and some Republicans because of her work as an elected official.

Her pitch to voters includes finding city-owned land that could be turned into affordable housing and cutting unnecessary spending. She was asked during a recent forum sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce if she would try to turn the more ceremonial role of mayor into a full-time job and not take on other work, something that raised ethical concerns for the current mayor, term-limited Francis Suarez.

“I do not have outside employment now. I was a full-time commissioner. I’m going to be a full-time mayor,” Higgins said as the interviewer continued to press her about whether that meant not accepting any outside employment.

In a blunt-talking style, Higgins responded sternly: “All right, do I have to say it more clearly? No! It’s a full-time job.”

While Latino voters nationally have traditionally leaned Democratic, Republicans in Florida have found strong backing among Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan immigrants, who resist socialist inclinations likened to the ones from the governments they fled. Trump tapped into those sentiments in winning Miami-Dade County last year, a turnaround from his 30 percentage point loss there to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Yet some Florida Republicans began sounding the alarm after November’s elections, when Democrats secured wins in nationally watched governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. Both winning candidates had strong performances with nonwhite voters, and the Democratic winner in the New Jersey race received two-thirds of the Hispanic vote, according to the AP Voter Poll.

Those results were largely seen as a reflection of concerns over rising prices and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.

U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district includes the city of Miami, called the elections elsewhere a “wake-up call.” Ileana Garcia, a Florida state senator who in 2016 founded the group Latinas for Trump, has said about immigration arrests that “what we are witnessing is inhumane.”

Gonzalez, a former director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under Republican President George W. Bush, said during a debate sponsored by Miami's CBS affiliate that he supported immigration arrests against those who committed crimes. But he demurred when the moderator said most of those arrested had not committed violent offenses: “But this is a federal issue," Gonzalez said. "This is not an issue that has to do with the mayor of Miami.”

Higgins has spoken about Miami’s signing on to a federal program that delegates immigration authority to local police, county sheriffs and state agencies and said she would find legal options to unwind that decision to rebuild trust between residents and law enforcement.

“When we start to enforce whatever shenanigans is coming out of the federal government to just randomly pick people up, we could erode that trust,” she said.

Higgins has received support from Florida Democrats looking to show the party still has a foothold in the formerly swing state.

Some Democrats who could be considering a presidential run in 2028 also are backing her campaign. Buttigieg encouraged voters in a video to make a plan to vote for her, U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona joined her Sunday for early voting stops and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is scheduled to appear at a rally for her Monday.

Many of the local issues at play in the race resonate nationally, including income inequality and one of the nation’s least affordable housing markets.

Gustavo Ascani, a 30-year-old Miami voter, said the city has long-standing problems that need addressing. He said he has not decided whom he will vote for, but said tackling homelessness and traffic is a priority for him.

“Maybe Republicans have overlooked, after having locally been in power for so long, certain issues that are important for the people in Miami,” Ascani said.

Robin Peguero, a former prosecutor who is running for the chance to challenge Salazar for her congressional seat, said voters’ concerns center around affordability, an issue that has become a focal point of both parties after Democrats' wins in New Jersey and Virginia.

That includes the sharp health insurance premium spikes expected to start Jan. 1 after subsidies under the Affordable Care Act expire. The Obama-era health law remains popular in South Florida, and recent polling shows most people who will be affected by the increases blame Trump and Republicans.

“It’s kitchen table issues, whether it’s an election for local officials or whether there is an election for the president,” Peguero said. “It’s a rejection of what is happening in this country.”

This story has been corrected to reflect that Higgins represented a district that includes Little Havana, but she does not live there.

Gustavo Ascani, a digital content creator, speaks about the upcoming Miami mayor runoff election, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and candidate for Miami mayor Eileen Higgins, speaks at a Miami Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

FILE - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, right, laughs with Emilio Gonzalez, director and chief executive officer of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, center, and Jose "Pepe" Diaz, Miami-Dade County commissioner, left, after a news conference at Miami International Airport, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and candidate for Miami mayor Eileen Higgins, speaks at a Miami Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a major synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot by security, The Associated Press has learned.

That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday. The vehicle caught on fire after crashing into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, the person said.

The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

“No kids or no staff were injured whatsoever,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said. He said one security officer was hit by the vehicle but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Synagogues around the world have increased security and protections for worshippers since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran on Feb. 28.

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The Orthodox Union, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, issued a statement decrying the violence and said it was “outraged and shaken.”

“Once again, a house of worship has been shattered by an act of violence intended to kill Jews. ... The swift actions of those on the scene helped prevent what could have been a far more tragic outcome.”

“This incident is a stark and frightening reminder that Jewish institutions across the United States continue to face serious and persistent threats, and the escalating hateful rhetoric in the public discourse puts a target on the backs of all Jews.,” it said.

The Orthodox Union called for “sufficient funding” for security at Jewish institutions.

The identity of the gunman and his possible motive have not yet been released.

Temple Israel released a statement on Thursday afternoon confirming that no one had been physically harmed in the attack, including the 140 students who were in the early childhood learning center when the car barreled in.

The statement credited security personnel who “confronted and neutralized” the driver, and said that teachers used established protocols to keep the children safe.

The statement also expressed gratitude for the Michigan community that came forward immediately following the attack to support members of the synagogue, including the Shenendoah Country Club that sheltered and fed staff, children and parents amid the chaos.

“What incredible neighbors we have. What incredible police force we have,” the message read.

In a post on social media, Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said: “Shocked by the attack on a synagogue near Detroit. We are in contact with the Jewish community and local authorities. Antisemitism must never be allowed to rear its ugly head.”

It was not immediately known who carried out the attack or a possible motive.

Allison Jacobs’s 18-month-old daughter goes to day care at Temple Israel, and got word of the attack.

“There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” she told the AP. “I was hoping that it was a false report. You know, sometimes that can happen.”

Jacobs said she tries not to think about all that’s going on in the world.

“You never think that this is actually going to happen to you,” she said. “But I know that it’s — it’s just terrible. This morning I was mourning the loss of the school that got hit in Iran.”

The president said at a White House event marking Women’s History Month, “I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people” in the Detroit area.

Trump added, “It’s a terrible thing, but it goes on” and said that authorities would be working to get “right down to the bottom of it.”

“It’s absolutely incredible that things like this happen,” Trump said.

He then returned to his prepared remarks, without providing details on the investigation.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, a survivor of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, said the Michigan attack demonstrates yet again the consequences of hatred.

“We lose our humanity when we seek violent means as a solution,” Myers said in a statement. “No one should dwell in fear because of who they are.”

Myers is rabbi of the Tree of Life Congregation, where 11 worshippers from three congregations were killed in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The gunman is now on death row.

It was not immediately known who carried out the attack or a possible motive.

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is condemning the incident.

“There is no justification for anyone to direct violence toward any house or worship or religious institution,” it said in a statement.

Investigators were still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

The person cautioned that the investigation was still in the early stages.

CAIR is a Muslim civil right and advocacy organization.

Authorities said none of those who attended were injured.

“No kids or no staff were injured whatsoever,” Oakland County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s office cleared the building and about a dozen parents sprinted to get their children from the early childhood learning center inside. West Bloomfield School District went on lockdown.

Police say a security guard was injured after a car crashed into a synagogue outside Detroit on Thursday.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said a person drove a car through Temple Israel’s doors and was driving down the hall with “purpose” and struck a security guard.

Security personnel opened fire on the vehicle, Bouchard said.

One person was found dead in the car although Bouhchard said it’s unclear how that person died. The injured security guard was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, Bouchard said.

Synagogues around the world have been on edge and ramping up security since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran with missile strikes on Feb. 28.

The FBI has warned that Iranian operatives may be planning drone attacks on targets in California. Two men brought explosives Saturday to a far-right protest outside the New York mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators allege they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.

In a similar incident to what happened in West Bloomfield Township, an assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year in October. He stabbed two people to death before officers shot and killed him.

The vehicle caught on fire after crashing into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Investigators were still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack. The person cautioned that the investigation is still in the early stages

The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Oakland County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Bouchard confirmed during an earlier news conference that security at the synagogue had engaged in gunfire with at least one person, and that no one was in custody.

A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into the nation’s largest Reform synagogue, a source tells The Associated Press. The attack occurred at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township.

A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a major synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot by security. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday.

The person said the vehicle caught on fire after crashing into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township.

Investigators are still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack. The person cautioned that the investigation is still in the early stages The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

A woman gathers children as law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

Law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

People gather near Temple Israel synagogue on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

Law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue, Thursday, March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)