It’s been a rough, rough day, but it is ending with at least a little GREAT news
Eileen Higgins wins Miami-Dade commission seat in upset over Zoraida Barreiro
Political newcomer Eileen Higgins won a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission on Tuesday, defeating the better-funded campaign of the former commissioner's wife to scramble the conventional wisdom of who can get elected in a heavily Hispanic district in Miami.
this was a hotly contested race that brought out big guns on both sides
With the Democratic Party deploying money, office holders, candidates and volunteers to boost Higgins early on in the special election, an officially nonpartisan contest became a proxy battle with Republicans.
The GOP used U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Miami, in robo-calls and mailers. Her husband's congressional campaign to become the Republican nominee to replace retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen also became her top donor, with at least $95,000 in contributions.
Odds were not in her favor
Bruno Barreiro held the seat for 20 years before vacating it in March. He resigned earlier than required under state law to run for federal office, triggering a quick special election that was seen as favoring his chosen successor with a well-known last name: Zoraida Barreiro.
except for that pesky blue wave
The Florida Democratic Party issued a statement Tuesday night linking the Higgins win to national backlash against President Donald Trump.
"Eileen Higgins victory made it very clear that no seat is safe in Florida," the party's statement said. "Today’s victory by Ms. Higgins is further evidence of a blue wave in 2018."
and the hard work of the grassroots
Congressional candidates running for the Democratic nomination in the Florida 27 race knocked on doors for Higgins, and a national group that sends out decorative postcards to Democratic voters in local races launched a mailing campaign for Higgins.
this is a big deal both for what it means for the Miami-Dade County Commission and for our blue wave
Advocates on both sides of the race saw the District 5 contest as a milestone for county contests being fought along partisan lines. Nelson Diaz, chairman of the Miami-Dade Republican Party, said the GOP had no choice to but to follow suit after Democrats poured resources into the race
Her election was a letdown for Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a Republican who endorsed Barreiro and helped her raise money. When Higgins takes her seat after the election is formally certified Friday, she will tip the balance of the 13-member commission to the Democrats, 7 to 5. The one independent, Xavier Suarez, endorsed Higgins.
Boom! Another one in the books. Nice work to all those who worked hard for this including sending post cards from all around the country!
Congrats to Eileen Higgins!