MIAMI – Democrats are once again trying to flip the District 27 U.S. congressional seat, currently held by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar.
In interviews with Local 10 News, the Republican congresswoman is defending her record, and her latest challenger shares her platform.
Their stories are similar, but their visions for District 27′s congressional leadership are very different.
Salazar is seeking a third term in office. Her opponent, Democrat Lucia Baez-Geller, a Miami-Dade school board member, hopes to turn that red seat blue.
“I’ve had four years of hearing about the needs and the issues of this district. That’s why I’m compelled to run, because they really feel that the current leadership, Salazar, has left them behind,” Baez-Geller said.
District 27 is majority Hispanic, covering a large portion of southeastern Miami-Dade County, from downtown Miami to Cutler Bay and Key Biscayne. Baez-Geller says voters are ready for a change.
“Every time Maria Salazar has had opportunities to bring resources to Miami, to make the lives of South Floridians better, she has rejected that opportunity, and instead has voted against us, and then come to Miami and lied about it,” she added.
Baez-Geller is referring to the bipartisan infrastructure deal passed in 2021, along with the 2022 Bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, aimed at ramping up semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.
Salazar voted no on both.
“These are the types of situations where she is putting her allegiance and her alliance to her extremist wing of her party above the needs of District 27, and we see that over and over,” Baez-Geller stated.
Salazar countered, “Sometimes, you have these massive bills that are really bad.”
Salazar says too few dollars were actually going to infrastructure.
“The rest was going for something else, so yes, I fought to put in some appropriations, some monies for District 27, but at the end, I was responsible. It was not good for the country, even though it was a little bit good for 27 — that’s the problem that happened with the CHIP(S) Act. Sometimes, there’s a lot of pork, so I did not agree with what the bill said, so you go to vote against it,” Salazar explained.
Salazar points to pushing through provisions of a bill she wrote to repurpose retired Navy vessels for artificial reefs and bipartisan work she’s still pushing on immigration.
Closer to home, the candidates were asked where they stand on Florida’s Amendment 3: the recreational marijuana issue.
“The state allows us to vote on these issues, and I support all of these amendments being on the ballot,” Baez-Geller expressed.
Salazar replied, “We’re benefitting those who are already in the game already. I don’t like that. That’s not capitalism.”
The candidates were also asked where they stand on Amendment 4, Florida’s abortion rights issue.
“I’m still thinking about it because I’m saying, it’s very badly written. But I do believe there are cases, and it’s up to the women. I understand that, too,” Salazar admitted.
Baez-Geller responded, “I do believe that women’s reproductive healthcare is healthcare, and we need to support women. This is a human rights issue.”
Both women say the economy is issue number one. It’s now up to voters to decide who’s best to tackle it, along with everything else on the agenda.
“It’s such an honor to be on the floor, representing 27 — what an honor,” Salazar said.
“People really just want someone that’s going to put people over politics,” Baez-Geller concluded.