A machine recount is underway in the race for Florida’s 27th Congressional District, and election officials expect counting to run through the night and into Tuesday morning. The recount is taking place at the Miami-Dade Elections Headquarters in Doral, where nearly 250,000 ballots are being processed without interruption until every ballot is tallied.
The race between incumbent Republican Maria Elvira Salazar and Democrat Elliot Rodriguez finished within the half-percentage-point margin that triggers an automatic machine recount under Florida law.
A judge ruled against a lawsuit filed by the Rodriguez campaign that sought to remove Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia from the canvassing board. The campaign argued Garcia could not be impartial because her son-in-law is a campaign attorney for Salazar. It also pointed to comments Garcia made to the Miami Herald that Salazar won “with or without a recount.” Garcia said she has no conflict of interest and remains on the board.
Rodriguez’s attorney, Juan Carlos Planas, said the campaign was disappointed. He said the judge viewed the statement to the press as egregious and called it “stupid.”
The outcome of the recount could determine the final result in one of the most closely watched congressional contests in Miami-Dade County.
