House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Democratic congressional candidate Eliott Rodriguez and supporters for a photo event in Pinecrest, drawing national attention to the race for Florida’s 27th Congressional District. Jeffries said life has become very expensive in South Florida under Republican policies.
The race pits Rodriguez against incumbent Republican María Elvira Salazar. Both are Cuban American and former television journalists. Salazar, who is seeking to keep her seat, rejected the criticism of the Republican economic record. She said voters should not return Democrats to power and blamed the economy’s problems on the Biden administration.
Salazar said Jeffries’ visit had “nothing to do with the polls” and instead reflected concerns of district voters. She also tried to tie Rodriguez and Jeffries to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which she said is being pulled by a “radical socialist left.”
Rodriguez called the charges political rhetoric meant to distract from Salazar’s record. He said his family’s business in Cuba was seized by the government, and he described himself as a product of capitalism and free enterprise. In a written statement, he accused Salazar of using socialism charges to avoid talking about housing costs, gas prices, food and insurance.
The Pinecrest event places the district’s contest at the center of national attention ahead of the November 3 election.
