MIAMI — Former CBS Miami news anchor Eliott Rodriguez is leaning heavily on his decades in South Florida and his career in local journalism as he campaigns for the Democratic nomination in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
Rodriguez, who is seeking the right to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, argued that his familiarity with voters and lifelong connection to the district distinguish him in a competitive Democratic primary.
“People in this district know me because they invited me into their home every night to present the news in a fair and objective fashion, a truthful fashion, and I worked hard to earn their trust,” Rodriguez said during an appearance on WPLG-10’s This Week in South Florida.
“I am the only Democrat in this race who’s from the district.”
Rodriguez is competing in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary as candidates position themselves for one of South Florida’s most closely watched congressional contests.
Rodriguez makes local roots central to campaign
Rodriguez was born in New York to Cuban immigrant parents before moving to Miami with his family when he was 12.
He attended Shenandoah Junior High and later raised his own family in the congressional district he now hopes to represent.
His campaign biography emphasizes his decades as a South Florida journalist and argues that his career gave him a close view of the economic and political issues affecting Miami-area families.
The former television anchor officially launched his congressional campaign in March, citing affordability and immigration among the issues driving his decision to run.
Rodriguez is now presenting those local ties as a key contrast with his Democratic primary opponents.
Rodriguez rejects comparisons with Salazar
Rodriguez and Salazar share several biographical similarities.
Both are Cuban American, bilingual and built prominent careers in South Florida television before entering electoral politics.
But Rodriguez rejected the suggestion that the two candidates are political mirror images.
“Maria Elvira Salazar and I could not be more different,” Rodriguez said. “I was a straight-up journalist just reporting facts. She was a commentator giving her opinion for thirty years.”
Salazar currently represents Florida’s 27th Congressional District and is seeking reelection.
The Democratic primary winner will face her in the Nov. 3 general election.
FL-27 draws increased attention in 2026
Florida’s 27th Congressional District includes parts of Miami-Dade County, including Miami, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.
The race has drawn increased national attention as Democrats look for opportunities to regain ground in South Florida.
The Cook Political Report currently rates the district Likely Republican, a shift from Solid Republican, citing a changing political environment in South Florida and the emergence of a potentially stronger Democratic challenge. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+6.
Rodriguez is not alone in seeking the Democratic nomination.
The primary field includes Robin Peguero, a former Miami-Dade homicide prosecutor who has described himself as a “Democratic capitalist.” Peguero has also argued that he offers Democrats a competitive path in the district.
With the primary approaching, the Democratic candidates are increasingly making the case that they are best positioned to challenge Salazar.
Rodriguez entered the final stretch of the primary with a significant advantage in his own campaign’s polling, with a June survey showing Eliott Rodriguez at 54% support in the CD-27 Democratic primary, though the campaign did not release key methodological details with the results.
Affordability takes center stage
Rodriguez identified South Florida’s cost of living as one of the central issues in his campaign.
He described Miami’s affordability crisis as being “on steroids” and pointed to his own family’s experience.
Rodriguez said his daughter and son-in-law concluded they could no longer afford to purchase a home in South Florida and eventually moved to North Carolina.
“They finally came to the realization South Florida is completely unaffordable,” Rodriguez said.
The candidate has tied housing costs and broader affordability concerns to health care and federal economic policy.
His official campaign says he is running in part because Miami families are struggling to afford living in the region.
Rodriguez targets Salazar on health care and immigration
Rodriguez also criticized Salazar over health care and immigration policy.
He said he would support restoring health insurance subsidies and criticized policies he argues have increased costs for Florida families.
On immigration, Rodriguez targeted Salazar’s signature Dignity Act, dismissing it as the “Indignity Act.”
“You know why? Because it doesn’t provide a path to citizenship,” Rodriguez said.
He argued that the legislation fails to provide adequate long-term legal pathways for immigrant communities, including Cubans, Venezuelans and Haitians.
Rodriguez also accused the Trump administration of using immigration as a political issue rather than pursuing comprehensive legislative solutions.
ICE funding faces criticism from Rodriguez
Asked about federal immigration enforcement, Rodriguez stopped short of calling for the elimination of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Instead, he said Congress should closely examine the agency’s funding and operations.
“We definitely need to take a very strong look at ICE,” Rodriguez said. “I would look at their budget very, very, very closely, and I would not — I don’t want it to resemble anything of what it looks like now.”
The comments could become a point of contrast in a South Florida district where immigration policy remains a major political issue.
Salazar has repeatedly emphasized immigration reform during her time in Congress, while Democrats seeking to challenge her are debating how aggressively to criticize federal enforcement policies.
Rodriguez says Democrats need a candidate who can win
Rodriguez framed his candidacy as a pragmatic response to Democratic losses in Florida.
“What kind of Democrat am I? I’m the kind of Democrat that’s tired of losing elections,” Rodriguez said.
He argued that his background, name recognition and connection to the district make him well positioned to compete in November.
“I believe that I am best situated to win this election … because I fit the demographics of the district, and the people in the district know me,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez’s campaign has also highlighted endorsements from dozens of federal, state and local political figures as it seeks to demonstrate organizational strength ahead of the primary.
Whether Rodriguez’s longtime television presence translates into votes will be tested in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary.
The winner will advance to face Salazar in November in a district that remains Republican-leaning but is drawing renewed attention in the 2026 election cycle.
The Florida Pundit will continue tracking Florida’s congressional races as part of its Florida Elections 2026 coverage.
Related Coverage
- Eliott Rodríguez Hits Majority Support in Campaign Poll for CD-27 Democratic Primary
- Florida Elections 2026: Candidates, Races, Ballot Measures and Election News
- Florida Voters Have Until Aug. 6 to Request Vote-by-Mail Ballot for Primary Election
Sources
- WPLG Local 10 — Democratic candidates discuss the race for Florida’s 27th Congressional District
- Cook Political Report — 2026 FL-27 race rating
- Eliott Rodriguez for Congress — Campaign priorities and candidate biography
