Key Biscayne official Mike Davey to run for Congress a second time
By Tony Winton | Key Biscayne Independent
May 13, 2025 at 12:41 PM EDT
Focusing on his experience as a Key Biscayne mayor and council member, Mike Davey will file today for Congress, his second run for the job.
In a statement, Davey said incumbent Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar isn’t representing what he says is a flippable district covering much of coastal Miami. “Salazar continues to put Donald Trump and his agenda ahead of what is best for this district,” describing her as “MAGA Maria.”
“We are witnessing a full-blown assault on the very values that define us as a nation. Families are torn apart by heartless deportations and law-abiding residents are swept up in a brutal and unjust system,” he said in his announcement.
Most political rating sites predict the 27th congressional district to be solid Republican. Davey didn’t make it to the general election in 2024, losing to former school board member Lucia Baez-Geller. She was then defeated by Salazar in a landslide 60-40 general election.
READ MORE: Democratic legislator Jason Pizzo says he plans to run for governor in 2026
Davey indicated he was likely to make another try for Congress in an interview with the Independent last month, saying Trump is losing support in Miami-Dade. He noted the Democratic Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the official fundraiding arm for House Democrats, listed the district as one of 35 nationally that are ‘in play.’
But just two weeks ago, a statistical analysis by the nonpartisan group FairVote, which advocates ranked-choice voting, rated the district as “Safe Republican” — and would remain so even if Democrats could improve their performance by five percentage points.
What’s more, Davey already has a Democratic opponent for the seat this cycle. Environmental entrepreneur Richard Lamondin filed papers on Monday to run.
Thom Mozloom, a marketing expert who has worked on several national campaigns, said Davey will have a tough time breaking through.
“You have to have some traction in the Latin community,” he said, stressing that a lack of name recognition will impair fundraising for Davey — and just about any other would-be challenger to Salazar.
“Dems don’t have a chance unless they find a high recognition, high-impact candidate,” he said. Mozloom is a former board member of Miami Fourth Estate, the publisher of the Independent.
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.
In a statement, Davey said incumbent Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar isn’t representing what he says is a flippable district covering much of coastal Miami. “Salazar continues to put Donald Trump and his agenda ahead of what is best for this district,” describing her as “MAGA Maria.”
“We are witnessing a full-blown assault on the very values that define us as a nation. Families are torn apart by heartless deportations and law-abiding residents are swept up in a brutal and unjust system,” he said in his announcement.
Most political rating sites predict the 27th congressional district to be solid Republican. Davey didn’t make it to the general election in 2024, losing to former school board member Lucia Baez-Geller. She was then defeated by Salazar in a landslide 60-40 general election.
READ MORE: Democratic legislator Jason Pizzo says he plans to run for governor in 2026
Davey indicated he was likely to make another try for Congress in an interview with the Independent last month, saying Trump is losing support in Miami-Dade. He noted the Democratic Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the official fundraiding arm for House Democrats, listed the district as one of 35 nationally that are ‘in play.’
But just two weeks ago, a statistical analysis by the nonpartisan group FairVote, which advocates ranked-choice voting, rated the district as “Safe Republican” — and would remain so even if Democrats could improve their performance by five percentage points.
What’s more, Davey already has a Democratic opponent for the seat this cycle. Environmental entrepreneur Richard Lamondin filed papers on Monday to run.
Thom Mozloom, a marketing expert who has worked on several national campaigns, said Davey will have a tough time breaking through.
“You have to have some traction in the Latin community,” he said, stressing that a lack of name recognition will impair fundraising for Davey — and just about any other would-be challenger to Salazar.
“Dems don’t have a chance unless they find a high recognition, high-impact candidate,” he said. Mozloom is a former board member of Miami Fourth Estate, the publisher of the Independent.
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.