MIAMI – Democrat Ken Russell said Sunday he is switching from the U.S. Senate primary race against U.S. Rep. Val Demings to a run for a Miami-area congressional seat.
Russell made his announcement via a TikTok video.
Recommended Videos
Russell, a Miami city commissioner, said it’s become clear Demings — who currently represents Orlando in Congress — is likely to be the Democratic nominee against incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and that he will support her.
Now, Russell said he will focus on a House District 27 race against freshman GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in one of Florida’s main swing districts.
“I’m moving into a race in Congress I know I can win,” Russell said in the video. “We need unity. We need to be organized as Democrats and we just never are.”
News outlets reported that another Democrat, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, was also likely to run in District 27. There was no formal announcement Sunday morning from Higgins on that, with a political consultant saying she would discuss the race Monday.
Two years ago, Salazar defeated the incumbent Democrat, Donna Shalala, with just over 51% of the vote. The district has switched parties multiple times over recent years.