Incumbent Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar won the closely watched race for Florida’s 27th Congressional District, CBS News has projected, after a machine recount was automatically triggered under Florida law.
Salazar — who has held the Miami-area seat since 2021 — claimed victory on social media after the machine recount ended, with margins about the same as before.
The new totals were announced Tuesday evening, and neither Salazar nor Democrat Eliott Rodriguez gained much ground, with a 1,086-vote margin between the two after the recount.
In her post, Salazar said the recount is over, and her victory has been reaffirmed.
“My deepest gratitude to every Republican, Democrat, and Independent who placed their trust in me. This victory sends a message beyond Miami: We prevailed because we LISTENED,” she said.
By CBS News Miami’s count, the recount lasted about 18 hours. The state will certify the results Nov. 17.
The legal battle surrounding the recount
Rodriguez had tried to get the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia removed from the canvassing board, saying she appeared to favor Salazar. However, a judge dismissed the motion and allowed the recount to proceed on Monday morning.
Garcia made a statement to CBS News Miami’s partners at the Miami Herald on Election Night that the judge called “stupid,” but it wasn’t enough to remove an elected official from her position.
Garcia told the Herald reporter that Salazar had won the election “with or without a recount.” She later clarified that it was possible Rodriguez could win, but not probable.
The judge on Monday morning said that an elected official should not be removed from her position based on the most explosive portion of an incomplete statement.
Rodriguez’s attorney also pointed out that Garcia posted a photo with Elvira Salazar, but the judge said it was an older photo and was essentially irrelevant.
“It was very obvious that the judge saw the statement to the press was egregious,” attorney Juan-Carlos Planas said. “In fact, the judge even called the statement stupid which I think was a big thing. Listen, we knew it was going to be a stretch and the judge stated that this was us making sure that a line was drawn. These are the people that we hold to preserve our democracy.”
Salazar’s attorney didn’t want to speak on camera after the judge’s ruling on Monday morning, but instead sent a statement to CBS News Miami saying, in part, “We stand firmly behind Alina Garcia and condemn the political attacks aimed at undermining the confidence in her office. A legally required recount is an opportunity to verify the results, not an excuse to vilify election officials because your candidate is losing.”
After reading the recount results, Garcia addressed the lawsuit.
“There are no conflicts of interest,” she said. “The lawsuit recently filed against me was without merit and was immediately dismissed by a federal judge. I respect the judicial process, and I will continue to perform my responsibilities in accordance with the law.”
Florida’s 27th Congressional District was closely watched
Florida’s 27th Congressional District includes parts of the city of Miami, Coral Gables, Kendall, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest and surrounding communities.
Salazar, a former television journalist, has represented the Miami-Dade County-based district in the United States Congress for three terms. She first won the seat in 2020 after defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala.
Rodriguez, a former CBS News Miami anchor, entered politics in 2026 after a nearly five-decade career in television news. He spent 25 years at CBS News Miami before leaving the station and announcing his campaign for Congress in March.
Both candidates secured their party nominations in August.
Salazar defeated attorney V. Michael Arias in the Republican primary, while Rodriguez defeated former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero for the Democratic nomination.
The district was widely seen as GOP-leaning, with Salazar winning reelection by 20 points two years ago, but Democrats had hoped to make the race competitive.
The contest drew nationwide attention in September, after Salazar taped a campaign ad warning President Trump that many of the Hispanic voters who propelled him to the White House in 2024 “feel betrayed” by immigration enforcement campaigns that have “gone too far.”
