Maria Elvira Salazar is projected to defeat first-term congresswoman and former Clinton Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala (D), returning Florida’s 27th Congressional District to Republican control.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:53 p.m. EST.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Salazar, who lost in the same head-to-head race against Shalala in 2018 after the retirement of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).
Salazar, who rose to prominence as a broadcast journalist working for Univision, Telemundo and CNN Español, will represent one of Florida’s Latino strongholds, which includes the “Little Havana” neighborhood.
The daughter of Cuban refugees, Salazar centered much of her campaign on socialism.
“We must not remain on the sidelines while many on the left want to implement in this country the failed socialist systems that brought misery, oppression and exile to many of our countries,” Salazar said in a video kicking off her 2020 campaign.
Salazar received the endorsement of President Trump, who campaigned in Miami in the days before the election.
Comment(s)