Associated Press: Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar wins FL-27 congressional race

Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar won reelection to Florida's 27th congressional district on Tuesday night — a week after Election Night — after the razor-thin margin triggered a mandatory recount.

She defeated Democrat Eliott Rodriguez in a race that drew national media attention.

The Associated Press declared Salazar the winner at 5:47 p.m. EST Tuesday.

Salazar, a former journalist, secured a fourth term after distancing herself from President Donald Trump's hardline approach on immigration, saying in a campaign video that the same Hispanics who helped elect him now feel betrayed.

Rodriguez is also a former journalist who worked as an anchor at CBS4 in Miami and also criticized the president's immigration policy as inhumane.

"This victory sends a message beyond Miami: We prevailed because we LISTENED," Salazar posted on X. "Throughout this campaign, I heard from families who want secure borders, safe communities, relief from rising costs, and an immigration system that respects the dignity of hardworking people."

"We can enforce our laws without abandoning our humanity," she said in promoting her proposed legislation — the Dignity Act — to fix the nation's broken immigration system. The latest version of the bill is languishing in the House.

After Election Night, the race for Florida’s 27th Congressional District was so close that it triggered a mandatory recount. Salazar led Rodriguez by 1,116 votes.

This year's close race is a far cry from 2024 when Salazar won the district by 20 points.

READ MORE: Florida Republicans loses supermajority in state House. Hold slight edge of state Senate

Break with Trump

Salazar made national headlines in September for a campaign ad in which she warned Trump that many Latino residents in her district felt “betrayed” by the administration’s hardline immigration policies.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” Salazar said straight into the camera in both English and Spanish, standing in front of the White House.

Trump had endorsed Salazar in 2020 and every race since then.

Salazar's ad was broadly seen as her distancing herself from the president at a time when his approval ratings are at a record low.

In response, Trump shared several posts on his Truth Social that criticized Salazar. One post called her a “back stabber.” Asked about her comments, Trump said he "understands what she is saying,” but that he still supports her.

“I’m very strong on the borders, and she isn’t,” the president said.

READ MORE: 'There's a tide coming': At one Miami-Dade precinct, young Latino voters turn their back on Trump

Ultimately, the president did not withdraw his endorsement. In fact, he posted a supporting message on Election Day.

With her victory, Salazar returns to Congress — no longer part of a Republican majority but a Republican minority.

Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress last Tuesday, delivering a decisive rebuke of Republican governance in Washington and ushering in a new era of congressional resistance to Trump.

This year's elections laid bare voters’ deep frustrations over high prices, the Iran war and concerns over government corruption.

Democrats hold a commanding 255-167 majority over Republicans, with only 13 races left to be decided, according to the AP.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.