House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to campaign with Eliott Rodriguez in Miami

Churchill Ndonwie, Miami Herald on Oct 16, 2026

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MIAMI — Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries will join Eliott Rodriguez at a campaign event in Miami Friday as the race in Florida’s 27th Congressional District heats up, according to officials from both campaigns.

Rodriguez, a former CBS Miami news anchor, is challenging incumbent Rep. María Elvira Salazar in a Republican-leaning district that previously voted for Donald Trump. In 2024, Salazar won 60% of the vote. But recent polling indicates a narrowing race as voters are vexed by immigration crackdowns and affordability issues.

Jeffries’ visit is the latest sign that House Democrats believe they can unseat Salazar. It comes after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee upgraded Rodriguez’s race to its “Red to Blue” program, which offers additional campaign support, but it did not mean the committee was pouring new funding into Rodriguez’s campaign.

Suzan DelBene, DCCC chairwoman, said as “South Floridians lose trust in María Elvira Salazar, they are looking for a reliable voice they can depend on to fight for them in Congress — that person is Eliott Rodriguez.

“Eliott has lived among and with Miami-Dade’s communities and understands how the astronomical increase in the cost of living is impacting families like his,” she said in a statement after his race was upgraded. “He’s fighting to get to Congress to make life more affordable and get South Florida the representation they deserve.”

Salazar, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, launched an ad last month criticizing the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrant communities — which upended the lives of many South Floridians and stripped away their deportation protections.

Her pushback against Trump was poorly received by some of his supporters, who suggested that he rescind his endorsement. Last month, on Truth Social, Trump amplified some of those comments calling for her replacement.

Fernand Amandi, a spokesperson for the Rodriguez campaign, said the District 27 race is “arguably the most high-profile congressional race in the country now.” He said Salazar knows she is in trouble as voters in her district are dealing with affordability issues.

“Representative Salazar has allowed her district to become one of the most unaffordable in all of the United States, and with no solutions to fix this cost of living crisis that impacts everyone,” he said. “I think Leader Jeffries coming down here underscores just how much of a failure she has been in a district that should be otherwise a safe Republican seat.”

Jeffries’ is one of many high-profile Democrats campaigning in the state, as the party grows more enthusiastic about the possibility of turning the Sunshine State blue. Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders will hold several campaign events with Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Angie Nixon this weekend, while former President Bill Clinton will campaign in Hollywood next week with Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly.