Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins’ bid for Miami Mayor just notched two more notable endorsements.
One is from the gun safety organization Giffords PAC. The other is from local historian Marvin Dunn, who is making national headlines for his fight to keep Miami Dade College from giving away valuable downtown land for a planned Donald Trump presidential library.
Notably, Trump is backing Higgins’ runoff opponent, former City Manager Emilio González.
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, a gun violence survivor and the founder of Giffords, said in a statement that she is confident that Higgins will dedicate herself to making Miami a gun violence-free city as Mayor.
“Public safety and crime are top concerns for Florida families,” she said. “Fortunately, we know what the solutions to gun violence are, and in Commissioner Higgins, we have a champion with the vision and determination to make those solutions a reality.”
Dunn, a respected voice on race, justice and community building, said he’s supporting Higgins because she knows Miami “should be built on the principles of equity and opportunity for everyone who calls the city home.”
“Miami deserves a leader who knows our history, our people, and is committed to building a city where every family and neighborhood has a future,” he said in a statement. “Eileen Higgins has consistently led with courage, compassion, and persistence, while fighting for the people our city often overlooks.”
Higgins said she is “deeply honored” to receive the Giffords nod, adding that she has stood “for years” with “survivors, parents, and advocates who refuse to accept” gun violence “as inevitable.”
“Safety is a fundamental freedom and as Mayor, I will work every day to make Miami safer by advancing proven, common-sense solutions that save lives,” she said.
She called Dunn “a moral compass for our community whose life’s work has helped Miami understand its past so we can build a better future.”
“His endorsement is an extraordinary honor,” she continued, “and I will carry forward his commitment to equity, dignity, and opportunity as we work to restore trust, strengthen neighborhoods, and ensure every Miami family can thrive.”
The new endorsements join others from RPAC, United Faculty of Miami Dade College, Miami Fraternal Order of Police, Miami Association of Firefighters, four SEIU chapters, AFSCME Local 1907, UNITE HERE Local 355, SAVE Action PAC, LiUNA Local 1652, Equality Florida Action PAC, EMILY’s List and Ruth’s List Florida.
Current and former elected officials backing her include U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Frederica Wilson, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Commissioners Oliver Gilbert and Danielle Cohen Higgins, Miami Gardens state Sen. Shevrin Jones, Miami state Rep. Ashley Gantt, South Miami Mayor Javier Fernández and former Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
Higgins, a Democrat, and González, a Republican, are competing in a Dec. 9 runoff to succeed outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez. The contest is technically nonpartisan.
