Republican incumbent Miami Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar's race to win re-election against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez for Florida’s 27th congressional district is tighten with less than six weeks before the Nov. 3 election.
On Friday, the non-partisan Cook Political Report, one of the nation's most respected and closely followed election year analysts, moved the Salazar-Rodriguez race from 'Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican." That means the race is considered "competitive."
It is one of several national election prognosticators who are now predicting a much closer race. Only a few months ago, it was considered a "safe Republican" seat.
The analysts at Cook Political Report write that recent polls and a "backlash among Hispanic voters toward the Trump administration has forced her to play defense" and recent polls led them to shift their rating of the race.
READ MORE: Trump says he supports Miami Congresswoman Salazar despite her ad slamming his immigration policy
Salazar drew national media attention this month when she blasted President Trump's immigration enforcement policies in a campaign ad. In the blistering campaign video ad, Salazar points out that more than half of those arrested by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents have no criminal records and that Hispanic voters who backed Trump in 2024 feel "betrayed."
Madison Andrus, a spokesperson for the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said "Salazar’s cover-ups and lies make it crystal clear even she knows she’s betrayed South Floridian families."
"Voters don’t want another political stunt, they want meaningful change — and that starts with sending Salazar packing," Andrus said in a statement referring to her campaign ad.
Salazar is seeking her fourth two-year term in Congress.
The 27th congressional district includes Miami, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. Almost three in four residents are Latino. Trump clobbered Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024 by 15 points, 57%-43%, in the district.
