Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar secured a fourth term representing Florida’s 27th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Eliott Rodriguez by a margin of 1,086 votes after a machine recount concluded on Tuesday.
The race proved to be one of the most competitive in the United States during the midterm elections held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Updated figures from the Florida Division of Elections showed Salazar leading Rodriguez with 124,528 votes to 123,438, translating to 50.22% against her opponent’s 49.78%.
Before entering politics, Salazar built a career in Spanish-language television news, working as a journalist for networks including Telemundo, Univision, AmericaTeve, MegaTV, and CNN en Español.
Thank you, Miami! – – – Gracias, Miami. pic.twitter.com/Y4ZEqGSP1K
When she first won election to the House in 2020, she defeated former Health Secretary and former University of Miami President Donna Shalala in an upset. In subsequent election cycles, her margins were larger, defeating Democrat Annette Taddeo by nearly 15 points in 2022 with 57.3% of the vote against 42.7%, and holding a lead of more than 20 points over Lucía Báez-Geller in 2024.
Florida law requires an automatic machine recount when the vote differential is half a percentage point or less, with a manual recount required if the margin falls at or below 0.25 percent.
The tight margin triggered this automatic machine recount. The bipartisan canvassing board overseeing the process consisted of county judges Jose Rohaidy and Victoria Ferrer, alongside Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia.
The suit alleged a conflict of interest because Garcia’s son-in-law represented the Salazar campaign. It cited remarks Garcia made to the press stating that Salazar had won with or without a recount.
Oren Rosenthal, general counsel for the supervisor of elections, told the court that Garcia was responding to a reporter’s question about whether a recount could overcome Salazar’s lead by explaining that recounts involving similar margins rarely change outcomes.
The unexpected closeness of the contest followed a split between Salazar and President Donald Trump over immigration policy.
Maria is badly needed in Washington. She is an outstanding person who truly loves her Country and her State. Her opponent, @DonnaShalala, is a political hack who is a puppet of Nancy Pelosi. She does nothing for Florida. Maria has my Complete & Total Endorsement! https://t.co/4GumAgOA3J
In September, Salazar drew national attention when she released an ad and campaign video criticizing the administration’s aggressive deportation policy. She said that many Hispanics felt betrayed by the crackdown and that the administration’s tactics had gone too far by targeting people without criminal records.
Although Salazar had previously backed initiatives to increase resources and operations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), her campaign video asserted that the same Hispanics who helped elect Trump now felt betrayed.
MY STATEMENT REGARDING RECOUNT IN FL-27 pic.twitter.com/8dAamLgH28
“Señor presidente, sus políticas migratorias han ido demasiado lejos,” Salazar said.
The public rebuke drew criticism from Trump on social media. He amplified posts labeling her a backstabber and calling for her replacement as the district’s GOP candidate, though he also stated he still supported her despite her lack of strong feelings on border security.
Democratic figures sought to capitalize on the rift. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries traveled to the district to campaign for Rodriguez, a former local news anchor who worked at CBS Miami for 25 years before running for office.
Political analysts said that the district carries one of the largest concentrations of immigrants in the country alongside more than 130,000 pending removal cases in Miami-Dade County. It reflected voter anxieties regarding border enforcement and the cost of living.
Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to carry Miami-Dade County in 36 years during the 2024 election, and the 27th District is set to host Trump’s presidential library.
Following the completion of the recount on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, major networks projected Salazar as the winner with 124,519 votes, equivalent to 50.22%, against Rodriguez’s 123,433 votes, or 49.78%.
Earlier coverage: Salazar and Rodriguez race in Florida's 27th may trigger a recount
