Salazar Holds Florida's 27th District After Machine Recount, 1,086-Vote Margin Over Rodriguez

On Tuesday evening, Miami-Dade County announced the results of a machine recount in Florida's 27th Congressional District. They showed almost no change. Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar still led Democrat Eliott Rodriguez by 1,086 votes, and CBS News projected her the winner.

Florida law triggers a machine recount automatically when a race is this close. By CBS News Miami's count, the recount took about 18 hours. Neither candidate gained much ground. Salazar claimed victory on social media once it ended, saying the recount was over and her win had been reaffirmed. She thanked Republicans, Democrats and Independents and wrote that the result sent a message beyond Miami: "We prevailed because we LISTENED." The state will certify the results on Nov. 17.

The recount did not go entirely quietly. Before it began, Rodriguez tried to have the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections, Alina Garcia, removed from the canvassing board. His side argued she appeared to favor Salazar. A judge dismissed the motion Monday morning and let the recount start.

The dispute grew out of remarks Garcia made on Election Night to a reporter at the Miami Herald, a partner of CBS News Miami. She said Salazar had won "with or without a recount." She later clarified that a Rodriguez win was possible, though not probable. The judge called the statement "stupid" but said an elected official should not be removed from her post over the most explosive portion of an incomplete statement. Rodriguez's attorney also pointed to a photo Garcia had posted with Salazar. The judge found it was an older photo and essentially irrelevant.

Rodriguez's attorney, Juan-Carlos Planas, took the ruling as a partial vindication. He said it was obvious the judge saw the press statement as egregious, and that the "stupid" label mattered. He added that the team knew the motion was a stretch and that the judge described it as an effort to make sure a line was drawn, since these are the people trusted to preserve democracy. The attorney for the Salazar side declined to speak on camera. A statement sent to CBS News Miami said they stand firmly behind Garcia and condemn political attacks aimed at undermining confidence in her office. It also said a legally required recount is a chance to verify results, not an excuse to vilify election officials because a candidate is losing.

After the recount numbers were read, Garcia addressed the lawsuit directly. She said there are no conflicts of interest, that the suit was without merit, and that a federal judge dismissed it immediately. She said she respects the judicial process and will keep carrying out her duties according to the law.

The district covers parts of the city of Miami, Coral Gables, Kendall, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest and surrounding communities. Salazar, a former television journalist, has held the seat for three terms. She first won it in 2020 by defeating Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala. The district was widely seen as leaning Republican, and Salazar won reelection by 20 points two years ago. Democrats nonetheless hoped to make this race competitive.

Rodriguez entered politics in 2026 after a nearly five-decade career in television news, including 25 years at CBS News Miami. He left the station and announced his campaign in March. Both candidates won their party nominations in August: Salazar over attorney V. Michael Arias, and Rodriguez over former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero.

The race drew national attention in September, when Salazar warned President Trump that many Hispanic voters who helped put him in the White House in 2024 feel betrayed by immigration enforcement campaigns that have gone too far. With the recount finished, certification on Nov. 17 is the remaining formal step.