The candidates for Florida’s 27th Congressional District in 2026 are three-term Republican incumbent María Elvira Salazar and a Democratic primary field led by former CBS4 news anchor Eliott Rodriguez and former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero, with businessman Richard Lamondin, former Trump associate Lev Parnas, and others also on the ballot. The Democratic primary is August 18, 2026, and the general election is November 3, 2026. Vincent Arias has filed as a Republican primary challenger to Salazar.
The Republican Incumbent: María Elvira Salazar
Salazar, a Republican first elected in 2020, has held the seat since January 2021 and won reelection in 2024 with 60.4% of the vote against Democrat Lucia Baez-Geller.1The New York Times. Florida 27th Congressional District Results Before Congress she spent decades as a Spanish-language television journalist at Telemundo, Univision, and CNN en Español, winning five Emmys.2Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar. About She chairs the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee on House Foreign Affairs and sits on House Financial Services. She is classified as a center-right moderate and belongs to the Problem Solvers Caucus, the Main Street Caucus, and the Republican Governance Group.3GovTrack. Maria Salazar
Two recent votes define her 2026 positioning. In January 2026 she was one of 17 House Republicans to break with GOP leadership and vote to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, saying she “didn’t hesitate” because so many families in her district rely on the subsidies.4WLRN. Salazar Among 17 Republicans in House to Vote to Extend Health Care Subsidies In April 2026 she helped lead a discharge petition that forced a House floor vote on Haitian Temporary Protected Status; the bill passed 224–204 but faces a veto threat from the Trump administration.5WLRN. South Florida Lawmakers Cast Crucial Votes to Push Haitian TPS Bill Through House She has also pushed for TPS protections for Venezuelan nationals.6Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar. Rep. Salazar Votes to Extend TPS Protections for Haitians She ended 2025 with $1.7 million in cash on hand.7Politico. Potential Shakeup in the 27th
The Democratic Primary Field
Eliott Rodriguez
Rodriguez spent 25 years as a CBS4 anchor before retiring in December 2025. The son of Cuban immigrants, he announced his campaign on March 10, 2026, built around Miami’s affordability crisis, immigration, and his opposition to what he calls “political theater and culture wars.”8WLRN. Poll Shows Former CBS4 Anchorman Eliott Rodriguez Leading Democratic Rivals He identifies as a Democrat while stressing his opposition to communism and socialism, a message calibrated to the district’s Cuban and Venezuelan voters.9NBC Miami. Former CBS Miami Anchor Eliott Rodriguez Running for Florida’s 27th District
His name recognition has translated quickly to money. He raised $312,000 in his first 21 days and reported more than $600,000 within roughly three months of entering the race.10Florida Politics. Eliott Rodriguez Reports $312K Raised in 21 Days for CD 2711Florida Politics. Internal Poll Gives Eliott Rodriguez 26-Point Lead His campaign claims endorsements from more than 60 elected officials and community leaders, including Senate Democratic Leader-designate Shevrin Jones, former U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos Martinez, and retired 11th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Joseph P. Farina.12Florida Politics. 39 Federal, State, Local Leaders Endorse Eliott Rodriguez
Robin Peguero
Peguero, a lawyer and former Miami homicide prosecutor, entered the race in July 2025, making him the longest-running Democratic candidate in the field. Before prosecuting cases in Miami he served 15 months as an investigator on the congressional January 6th Committee. A first-generation American, he is the son of a Dominican father and Ecuadorian mother who both served in the U.S. Army, and he grew up in Hialeah after the family settled there when he was five.13Robin Peguero for Miami. Robin Peguero for Congress
His platform centers on cost of living, including rent and healthcare affordability, and opposing Trump administration policies he says harm the district: tariffs, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and the revocation of Temporary Protected Status.14Florida Politics. Robin Peguero Qualifies for CD 27 He raised more than $100,000 in his first 24 hours and crossed $900,000 total as of June 2026, from nearly 6,500 individual donors and, his campaign says, with no corporate PAC money or self-loans. His endorsers include the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, the Latino Victory Fund, U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel and Glenn Ivey, and State Rep. Ashley Gantt.15Florida Politics. Robin Peguero Tops $900K in CD 27 Race
Richard Lamondin
Lamondin, 38, was the first candidate to file, submitting paperwork in May 2025. He is the founder and CEO of ecofi, an environmental services company his campaign says has helped conserve 10 billion gallons of water and prevented over 300,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.16Florida Politics. Miami Beach’s Newest Commissioner Endorses Richard Lamondin for CD 27 He campaigns on affordability, security, and what he calls “dignity,” with emphasis on cost of living, housing, Social Security, healthcare, and climate resilience in a district he describes as being on the “front lines of sea level rise.”17CBS News Miami. Florida District 27 Congressional Seat Race: Richard Lamondin
Lamondin led Democratic fundraising before Rodriguez entered the race, reporting nearly $700,000 raised and $433,000 in cash on hand entering 2026.18Florida Politics. Richard Lamondin Campaign Reports Nearing $700K Raised FEC records show total receipts of about $744,000 through late June 2026.19Federal Election Commission. Richard Lamondin FEC Filing His endorsers include Miami Beach Commissioners Alex Fernandez, Laura Dominguez, and Monica Matteo-Salinas, State Sen. Shevrin Jones, and State Rep. Kevin Chambliss.20Florida Politics. Alex Fernandez Backs Richard Lamondin for CD 27 Jones has separately also endorsed Rodriguez.
Lev Parnas
Parnas, 54, Ukrainian-born, announced his candidacy on March 4, 2026. He was a central figure in former President Trump’s first impeachment, having assisted Trump and Rudy Giuliani in their effort to find damaging information in Ukraine about Hunter Biden.21The New York Times. Lev Parnas, of Trump Impeachment Fame, Runs for Congress in Florida He was later convicted and sentenced to 20 months in prison for campaign finance violations tied to funneling foreign donations into U.S. political campaigns.22The Hill. Lev Parnas Runs Against Salazar Now a vocal Trump critic, he says he helped “build MAGA” and now wants to oppose it.
Dropouts and Other Filings
Mike Davey, a former Key Biscayne mayor and employment lawyer who ran for the seat in 2024, entered the 2026 race in May 2025 but withdrew that August and endorsed Peguero.23Florida Politics. Mike Davey Ends His Challenge of María Elvira Salazar He later also appeared on Rodriguez’s endorsement list.12Florida Politics. 39 Federal, State, Local Leaders Endorse Eliott Rodriguez Alexander Fornino has also appeared in filings or reports.18Florida Politics. Richard Lamondin Campaign Reports Nearing $700K Raised
Where the Race Stands
Salazar remains the favorite, but ratings have shifted. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put FL-27 on its “Districts in Play” list for 2026, one of 35 Republican-held seats targeted with a dedicated fund.24DCCC. 2026 Districts in Play The Cook Political Report moved the seat from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican” in April 2026, citing “mounting evidence of a shifting political environment in South Florida” and “the emergence of a potentially strong opponent.”25Cook Political Report. Florida 27th District Race Rating FairVote still rates it “Safe Republican.”26WLRN. Mike Davey Runs for Congress a Second Time
Primary polling is contested. An internal poll conducted by Rodriguez strategist Fernand Amandi in June 2026 put Rodriguez at 54% and Peguero at 28% among 300 likely Democratic primary voters, with 18% undecided and a margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 points.11Florida Politics. Internal Poll Gives Eliott Rodriguez 26-Point Lead A separate account described the Rodriguez-Peguero contest as a “dead heat,” 43% to 40%.14Florida Politics. Robin Peguero Qualifies for CD 27
General-election polling shows a tighter race than Salazar’s 2024 margin would suggest. A March 2026 Blueprint Polling survey had Salazar leading Peguero by seven points (47%–40%) and Rodriguez by three (46%–43%).27The New York Times. Florida 27th Congressional District Polls28Florida Politics. Poll Shows Daniella Levine Cava Poses Strong Threat4WLRN. Salazar Among 17 Republicans in House to Vote to Extend Health Care Subsidies
Key Dates
The Democratic primary is August 18, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026.