Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar faces Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in Florida midterm
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The gist
Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar faces Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in Florida's 27th District midterm.
The race tests whether frustration with Trump's policies erodes GOP strength among Miami Hispanics.
Background
Maria Elvira Salazar is the Republican U.S. Rep. for Florida's 27th Congressional District, serving since 2021; she is a five-time Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist and former anchor. Eliott Rodriguez, the Democrat challenging her, is a retired broadcast journalist who spent 25 years at CBS Miami. Salazar is seeking a fourth term by highlighting bipartisan accomplishments, local investments and opposition to Latin American dictatorships, while Rodriguez pitches change, arguing her allegiance to Trump has hurt constituents facing rising costs and aggressive immigration enforcement. The race is viewed as a test of whether growing frustration over Trump's policies can weaken Republicans' recent dominance among Miami's Hispanic voters; about three-quarters of the district's residents are Hispanic and more than half are foreign-born.
How it unfolded
- 2018Salazar ran against Democrat Donna Shalala for an open seat in Florida's 27th Congressional District and lost by about 6 percentage points.
- 2020In their rematch, Salazar came out 3 points ahead of Donna Shalala.
- Jan 2021Salazar began serving as Congresswoman for Florida District 27.
- 2022Salazar first filed the Dignity Act immigration-reform proposal.
- 2024Salazar's Neotropical Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act was signed into law.
- Jul 2025Salazar reintroduced the Dignity Act alongside Democratic U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas.
- Jan 2026Salazar joined Democrats to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies over Trump's opposition.
- Aug 19, 2026Salazar won the Republican primary for U.S. House District 27.
- Sep 2026Salazar broke with Trump over immigration enforcement in a campaign advertisement saying the administration had gone "too far."
- Sep 25, 2026Cook Political Report classified Florida's 27th Congressional District race as "Lean Republican," after it was previously listed as "Likely Republican."
- Oct 14, 2026Federal Election Commission data showed Salazar had more than $2.5 million in total receipts and Rodriguez more than $1.56 million.
- Oct 29, 2026A local union group brought Cuban and Venezuelan voters to Little Havana for a rally denouncing Salazar.
- Oct 30, 2026Salazar led a letter with colleagues to President Trump and the USDA requesting an end to American horses being sold for slaughter and consumption abroad.
- Oct 31, 2026Salazar talked with news media outside an early voting location after voting in Coral Gables.
- Nov 3, 2026Voters decide between Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in the midterm election for Florida's 27th Congressional District.
Who’s saying what
- Challenger
- Rodriguez says Salazar "voted to fund ICE" and "was silent when Alligator Alcatraz was here," pitching change and arguing her allegiance to Trump has hurt constituents.
- Incumbent
- Salazar says she is "just showing my record, doing the best I could for six years" and leaves it to voters to decide if she represented them well.
- Public
- Martha Cabrera, a longtime district resident and former registered Republican, said she switched her registration to Non-Party Affiliated after feeling deceived by Salazar's promises.
- Analysts
- Cook Political Report moved the district from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican" in late September.