After a bruising 2024 election cycle that left Florida Democrats reeling, party leaders in Miami-Dade say the narrative of decline no longer fits what they’re seeing on the ground.
A string of off-year wins in 2025, both locally and nationally, has reinvigorated organizers who believe Miami-Dade could once again become competitive terrain heading into the 2026 midterms. From municipal victories in South Florida to gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey, Democrats have outperformed expectations during President Donald Trump’s second term.
The clearest local sign came with Eileen Higgins’ election as mayor of Miami, making her the first Democrat to win the seat in three decades — a result party leaders say reflects a broader political reset underway.
Rebuilding and momentum
In 2024, President Trump won Miami-Dade County with 55% of the vote, an 11-point margin, reflecting a national shift of historically left-leaning Hispanic voters toward the Republican Party. However, just one year later, Higgins' 20-point margin of victory suggested a significant reversal, surpassing Trump's prior performance in the city.
“The losses in 2024 forced a real reckoning. Rather than retreat, we took accountability, rebuilt our local infrastructure, and focused on restoring confidence in the party,” said Laura Kelley, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair. “The success of Democrats in Miami-Dade in 2025, including the City of Miami, shows that the Democratic Party is not only relevant, but essential.”
Party leaders say the past year has been defined by introspection and structural change, a recognition that overconfidence, inconsistent voter engagement, and an over-reliance on national messaging failed to connect with local realities.
“When new leadership was elected in December 2024, voters told us plainly: 'You only show up at election time.’ We took that to heart,” Kelley said.
Miami-Dade Democratic Party Vice Chair and North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph said that lesson reshaped how the party approached organizing.
“In 2025, we invested early in voter contact, Vote-by-Mail re-enrollment, and turnout operations focused on municipal races. That groundwork made the difference,” he said. “For 2026, we’re expanding that model countywide, starting earlier, registering new voters, staying in touch consistently, and making sure voters have a clear plan to cast their ballot.”
That renewed focus was on display this past weekend, when the Miami-Dade Democratic Party joined local Democratic clubs to host a midterm kickoff event themed “Restore Our Country.”
"Every single day, folks across the county are dealing with the anxiety of how they are going to afford housing, gas, healthcare, and groceries while also dealing with the realities that family members, friends, and relatives are being taken who knows where by ICE,” Kelley said. “That is our moment, and our mandate is to do the work that it takes to win the election in 2026 and actually put an end to these compounding crises."
Reaching Black voters
A central pillar of the party’s 2026 strategy is sustained engagement with Black voters, a bloc that played a decisive role in Higgins’ victory.
She secured 84% of the vote in District 5, a predominantly Black community, and nearly 70% in District 2. Party leaders say those margins underscore both the electoral power of Black voters and the consequences of neglecting them.
Joseph said skepticism within the community is rooted in lived experience.
“Too often people in my community are engaged only during election season and then forgotten,” he said.
He said the party is working to change that dynamic by strengthening year-round relationships with Black-led organizations, churches, civic groups, and cultural institutions.
“We’re listening more than we talk, supporting community-led events, and making sure Black voices are shaping policy priorities, not just campaign messaging,” Joseph said.
Kelley said the effort includes partnerships with the Miami-Dade Democratic Black Caucus, the South Dade Black Caucus, the Miami-Dade Haitian Club, and other community organizations.
“This isn’t transactional outreach. Instead, we are focused on sustained relationship-building with all of our communities,” Kelley said.
Candidates to watch
Democrats see 2026 as an opportunity to build durable power through state and local races, which they argue form the backbone of long-term electoral success.
“Our primary focus is on state and local races, because that’s where we can build durable power. That work also benefits congressional and statewide races,” Kelley said.
Joseph said the party is looking for candidates who combine authenticity with courage.
“This means a focus on how our policies will improve everyday life,” he said. “I also want to see candidates who understand coalition-building, who respect the diversity of this county, and who are willing to stand up for vulnerable communities even when it’s politically inconvenient. Be brave. People are paying attention.”
For the party, several Florida House races are drawing early attention, including in District 106, currently represented by Republican Fabián Basabe. Former Miami-Dade School Board member Lucia Báez-Geller and attorney Ashley Litwin Diego, both Democrats, are running to represent the area in northeast Miami-Dade.
District 113, previously held by Republican Vicki Lopez before her appointment to the Miami-Dade County Commission, has drawn Democratic candidates Gloria Romero Roses and Justin Mendoza Routt. Democrats also say they are committed to defending District 117, held by incumbent Kevin Chambliss.
Other House races led by Black candidates include District 104, where Felicia Robinson is running; District 107, held by incumbent Aristide Wallace; District 108, with Democrats Daphne Campbell and Dinah J. Escarment; and District 109, represented by incumbent Ashley Gantt.
At the federal level, Democrat Robin Peguero, a former attorney for the January 6 committee, is running for Florida’s 27th Congressional District. State Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville is seeking the U.S. Senate seat.
The governor’s race is also taking shape, with Democrat Jerry Demings, Orange County mayor and former police chief, joined by Dayna Marie Foster and Charles A. Lewis in a field challenging Republican frontrunner Byron Donalds. Democrats are also eyeing the attorney general’s race, where Jose Javier Rodriguez and Jim Lewis are mounting challenges to incumbent James Uthmeier.
Joseph said Black candidates in high-profile statewide races can be particularly inspiring and drive engagement turnout.
“When the U.S. gets a cold, Black people get the flu,” he said. “The lived experiences of Black men and women provide a deep ability to empathize with communities, understand what is negatively impacting them, and identify solutions that address root causes rather than merely applying temporary fixes.”
Navigating a changing landscape
Miami-Dade remains one of the most politically complex counties in the country, shaped by immigration, economic inequality, and shifting demographics. While Republicans have made gains, particularly among Hispanic voters, Democrats argue that local issues are creating new openings.
“Miami-Dade is diverse, entrepreneurial, immigrant-rich, and deeply local in how people experience politics,” said Joseph. “National talking points don’t always translate here.”
Both Joseph and Kelley pointed to housing affordability, healthcare costs, workers juggling multiple jobs, and aggressive immigration enforcement as issues cutting across race and party lines.
“Republicans have falsely branded Democrats as communists or socialists,” Kelley said, “but the truth is that the party in power has abandoned working families. Our messaging has to be grounded in lived experience and real consequences.”
Looking ahead
As the midterm cycle ramps up, party leaders say the emphasis remains on discipline and repetition.
"Our communities cannot afford complacency," Joseph said. “One election doesn’t create a political wave, but repetition does. That means treating every race as connected, building institutional knowledge, and refusing to disappear once the ballots are counted."
If 2025’s municipal wins were the preparation, Kelley said, 2026 will be the test.
“There won’t be a single decisive factor,” she said. “Success requires strong organizing, real voter engagement, effective messaging, and quality candidates. Leaders like Eileen Higgins show what’s possible when all of those pieces come together.”
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
