María Elvira Salazar made a significant impact this Tuesday in the Republican primary for the 27th District of Florida for the U.S. House of Representatives, securing approximately 81% of the votes and guaranteeing her nomination to pursue a fourth consecutive term in the House of Representatives.
With 99% of the precincts reported, the Cuban-American congresswoman garnered 28,787 votes compared to 6,616 for her opponent, financial attorney V. Michael Arias.
Salazar's reaction: gratitude and a fight against socialism
Salazar waited for the results in a restaurant in South Florida alongside his supporters, having arrived there after voting in Key Biscayne just minutes before the polls closed.
“For me, that truly fills me with gratification, fills me with joy, and sends us the signal that what we have been doing so far has been powerful,” he declared to his followers, according to coverage by Univision Miami.
In a message posted on X, he thanked the Republicans of the district for "choosing results over rhetoric, an independent voice over party bosses, and freedom over socialism."
"In Congress, I will continue to vote for what is best for you, my constituents, and not for what the usual crowd in Washington demands. I will keep fighting to lower taxes, find solutions to our housing crisis, build bipartisan support to fix our broken immigration system, and confront the Democratic socialists with determination," he said, reaffirming his legislative agenda.
In his victory speech, he was particularly forceful when addressing the direction of the Democratic Party.
"The socialist forces are infiltrating the democratic party. It doesn't matter if they put the words democratic socialism or pragmatic socialism or friendly socialism in front, socialism is socialism. It is already a virus that is spreading throughout the country.", he asserted.
Salazar also addressed the topic of immigration.
"In this campaign, I have spoken with the president, and they know it: the immigration problem is a real issue. I have told them that the way the laws were enforced, especially last year, was not the right way," he stated.
A new victory in the Republican primaries
This is the third consecutive time that Salazar has dominated a Republican primary in District 27.
In 2024, she received 88.7% of the votes in a similar contest, a result that once again demonstrates her strong support among Republican voters in the district.
The congresswoman has represented District 27 since January 2021, when she won the seat for the first time by defeating the Democrat Donna Shalala.
The migration stance that generated internal tension
Despite having the support of President Donald Trump, Salazar has maintained a more moderate stance on immigration, questioning mass deportations and advocating for protections such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans and Haitians.
That stance earned her an attack from former representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called Trump's endorsement of Salazar "an insult to his base."
Salazar responded that Greene "was not being truthful" and defended his position as "dignity, not amnesty."
The Democratic Rival and the November Battle
In the Democratic primary of the same district, former CBS Miami presenter Eliott Rodríguez, 69 years old and son of Cuban parents, won with around 54% of the votes against former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero.
Rodríguez justified his candidacy by saying: "After 40 years of telling stories from South Florida, I now want to compete because families in Miami can no longer afford to live here, because democracy is under real stress, and because policies of cruelty towards immigrants do not represent the community."
The contest between Salazar and Rodríguez —two Cuban Americans with extensive backgrounds in journalism— could be decisive in determining which party controls the House of Representatives, where Republicans are defending a slim majority of just five seats.
The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026.
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