There are five GOP candidates currently running for Miami’s top elected post, but only one has the support of an organization that describes itself as comprising the city’s “next-gen business and political leaders” with conservative leanings.
The Miami Young Republicans, which since 1981 has dedicated itself to advancing GOP ideals and serving as “a catalyst for building Greater Miami into a model for good government,” just endorsed Emilio González for Mayor.
González, the group said, will block “destructive socialist policies pushed by progressive candidates, like cashless bail, crippling tax hikes, defunding the police, divisive DEI mandates, and bloated bureaucracies filled with make-work jobs.”
“Emilio González is the fearless leader Miami needs to clean up City Hall and stop socialist policies in their tracks,” Miami Young Republicans Chair Armando Ibarra said in a statement Thursday.
“He’s committed to reform, accountability, and a resident-first agenda that delivers real results for our city.”
Miami Young Republicans President Tony Figueroa credited González’s “commitment to empowering communities, fostering economic opportunity, restoring trust in city government, and preserving Miami’s unique cultural identity” for earning his group’s support and resonating with voters.
González is a U.S. Army veteran who rose to the rank of colonel, a former Miami City Manager and past CEO of Miami International Airport who served as Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush.
He currently holds several professional and appointed roles, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.
In July, González successfully sued Miami to stop officials, including Mayor Francis Suarez, from delaying the city’s election by a year to November 2026. An appellate court then upheld the decision.
He’s one of 11 candidates running for Mayor. Other Republicans running include Christian Cevallos, Alyssa Crocker, June Savage and former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez, who previously served as a Miami-Dade Commissioner and is the current Mayor’s father.
Democrats running include Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, Ijamyn Gray, Michael Hepburn and Max Martinez, who ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in 2021.
Laura Anderson is the only no-party candidate in the technically nonpartisan contest.
A month-old poll commissioned by Higgins’ campaign found that she and González are likely to compete in a runoff, as neither has enough support to secure more than 50% of the vote in the city’s Nov. 4 General Election.
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