Eliott Rodriguez leans on Miami roots in congressional bid
Eliott Rodriguez is betting Miami roots can beat incumbency in FL-27. He says his Shenandoah upbringing and TV familiarity make him the Democrat best placed to take on Maria Elvira Salazar.
For years, Eliott Rodriguez entered Miami homes as a television anchor. Now he says that gives him a built-in edge in Florida’s 27th Congressional District, where voters know him from years as a television anchor. Rodriguez said he is the best Democrat positioned to challenge Republican incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar, and he emphasized that he is the only Democrat in the race who is actually from the district.
Rodriguez, 70, was born in New York to Cuban immigrant parents, moved to Miami at 12 and attended Shenandoah Junior High before raising his own family in the same community. Rodriguez said his daughter and son-in-law concluded they could not afford to stay in Miami-Dade.
The district covers Miami, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. Rodriguez has framed affordability as his top issue, calling the region’s housing squeeze an affordability crisis: “Miami on steroids.” He said his background as a reporter is not the same as Salazar’s work as a commentator, even though both are bilingual Cuban-American journalists.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s new congressional map on May 4, 2026. Ballotpedia puts the filing deadline for the district at June 12, 2026. The Cook Political Report moved FL-27 from solid Republican to likely Republican on April 7, 2026.
The primary is set for August 18, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026. Rodriguez is running against other Democrats as well, including former Miami-Dade homicide prosecutor Robin Peguero and former House Select Committee investigative counsel Tim Padgett. Local 10 put Salazar at more than $1.37 million by July 12, while Peguero had raised more than $820,000.
Salazar is a five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist. She was born in Little Havana to Cuban parents who fled after Fidel Castro came to power. She defeated Donna Shalala in 2020 and won reelection in 2024. Miami-Dade County had 1,283,970 active registered voters as of July 1, including 405,854 Democrats, 453,450 Republicans, 390,522 NPAs and 34,144 others.
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