Candidate Eliott Rodriguez, U.S. House District 27

Eliott Rodriguez, a Democrat and retired South Florida television anchor, is running for U.S. House in Florida’s 27th Congressional District in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. He faces one opponent on the Miami-Dade ballot: Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, the incumbent. The district takes in parts of Miami, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay, making it the congressional seat for a large share of northern South Dade.

At a Glance

Office: U.S. Representative, Florida’s 27th Congressional District
Area covered: Southern and coastal Miami-Dade, including parts of Miami, Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: No; first run for public office
Opponent on the ballot: Maria Elvira Salazar (REP), incumbent
Campaign website: eliottrodriguez.com

Background

Rodriguez was born in New York City to Cuban immigrant parents who left Cuba in the 1950s, before the 1959 revolution, according to the Florida Phoenix and WLRN. WLRN reported that his mother worked as a seamstress in New York’s garment district and his father owned a grocery store in the Bronx. The family moved to Miami when he was 12, and he attended Shenandoah Junior High.

Rodriguez says he has lived in what is now the 27th District since that move and raised his own family there. In a candidate profile published by the South Dade News Leader, he described himself as the son of working-class union parents and said he is not a career politician.

His journalism career spanned nearly five decades. The Florida Phoenix reported that he worked as a reporter in Philadelphia in the 1980s and spent more than 25 years at CBS Miami, known locally as CBS4, retiring in December 2025. The Phoenix describes him as an Emmy-winning journalist. He has said he reported from Cuba several times and was the first U.S. journalist to interview the late dissident Oswaldo Payá, according to WLRN. WLRN reported that he left CBS objecting to changes at CBS News under its new ownership.

Rodriguez, 69 when he announced in March 2026, describes himself as a lifelong Democrat. This is his first campaign for public office. Sources reviewed for this profile did not detail his college education.

In Their Own Words

“Affordability. Washington needs to focus much more aggressively on what families actually pay to live.”

Eliott Rodriguez, on his first priority, South Dade News Leader candidate profile, Sept. 11, 2026

“Miami should not be a city for just billionaires and millionaires.”

Eliott Rodriguez, campaign announcement, WLRN, March 10, 2026

“They can call me socialista or comunista, but it won’t hold water,”

Eliott Rodriguez, on expected Republican attacks, WLRN, March 10, 2026

“I do not support starving people to death in Cuba.”

Eliott Rodriguez, on the administration’s Cuba policy, WLRN, Oct. 5, 2026

“For too many families, our community has simply become too expensive to live in.”

Eliott Rodriguez, primary-night remarks, Aug. 18, 2026, as reported by WLRN

Where He Stands on the Issues

Cost of living, housing and insurance

Rodriguez has made affordability the center of his campaign. He has said his own daughters moved away from Miami-Dade because they could not afford to live here, according to WLRN. In his South Dade News Leader profile, he listed housing, insurance, health care and groceries as top concerns and proposed federal incentives for affordable housing near jobs and transit, as well as lower prescription drug prices. On property insurance, he called for “exploring a federal catastrophic backstop for truly extraordinary disasters.” His campaign website also calls for building more workforce housing and stabilizing the insurance market.

Health care and retirement

Rodriguez supports restoring the Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired, which he says Salazar voted to remove, according to WLRN. In WLRN’s October report, he blamed Salazar’s vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for health coverage cuts, saying, “This is something that María Elvira Salazar has brought on this district.” He has pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare.

Immigration

Rodriguez cited the Trump administration’s immigration policies as a main reason for running and opposes its mass deportations, WLRN reported. He does not support abolishing or fully defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement but wants a close review of its budget and significant changes to the agency. He has criticized Salazar’s Dignity Act because it does not include a path to citizenship, telling WLRN in July that it is “only designed for people who work in the hospitality industry, agriculture, and construction.” He has also said there should be no ambiguity on birthright citizenship.

Cuba

Rodriguez opposes the administration’s “maximum pressure” approach to Cuba and favors an economic transition on the island, according to WLRN. He has pointed to his reporting on Cuban dissidents in response to attacks labeling him a socialist, and he told NBC6 in March that he is against communism and socialism.

Tariffs and the economy

He opposes the administration’s tariffs, which he has called an “anti-consumer agenda,” WLRN reported in July.

Government and democracy

Rodriguez has said Congress spends too much time on political theater and culture-war fights. His campaign website lists defending democracy, protecting the environment and investing in education among his priorities, and he has pledged regular community meetings and constituent services if elected.

About the District

Florida’s 27th District sits in southern Miami-Dade County. WUSF described the district as based in south Miami and including part of Miami, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay. WLRN described it as running from Little Havana south along the coast to Cutler Bay and west into Kendall. The seat was held for decades by Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and has changed parties twice in the past decade.

Florida adopted a new congressional map in May 2026. WUSF reported that the new lines did not significantly change District 27. Homestead and the Florida Keys are in the neighboring 28th District, which WUSF reported also saw minimal changes.

WLRN’s coverage of the 2026 race identifies immigration, the cost of living and U.S. policy toward Cuba as its main issues, noting the effect of immigration enforcement on South Florida’s Cuban and Venezuelan communities.

What This Office Does

Members of the U.S. House serve two-year terms. They write and vote on federal legislation, approve federal spending and taxes, and oversee federal agencies. House members also help constituents with federal agencies such as Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Affairs and immigration services, and they can seek federal funding for local projects such as flood control and transportation.

The Race

In the Aug. 18, 2026, Democratic primary, Rodriguez defeated former prosecutor Robin Peguero, 17,324 votes (53.51%) to 15,051 (46.49%), according to preliminary results reported by the South Dade News Leader. Salazar won the Republican primary over V. Michael Arias, 29,225 votes (81.35%) to 6,701 (18.65%).

Salazar, a Republican first elected in 2020, is a former Spanish-language television journalist who serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Small Business committees. She has made her bipartisan immigration bill, the Dignity Act, a centerpiece of her tenure, and in September 2026 released an ad telling President Trump that some of his immigration enforcement had gone too far. She voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and supports the administration’s Cuba sanctions, according to WLRN. A separate profile of Salazar is available in this voter guide.

WLRN reported in October that the district slightly favors Salazar on paper but that forecasters see the race as more competitive than in past cycles, and that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Rodriguez’s campaign to its list of top targets. In July, WLRN noted that the Cook Political Report had shifted the seat from “safe Republican” to “likely Republican.” Salazar won the seat by more than 20 points in 2024.

How to Vote

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters in line at 7 p.m. may still vote.
Early voting in Miami-Dade: Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, according to the Miami-Dade Elections early voting schedule.
Vote by mail: Requests must be received by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Completed ballots must reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day; postmarks do not count. See the vote-by-mail page.
Sample ballots, polling places and voter status are available from the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.

Community Leadership Alliance is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. This profile is based on public records, candidate statements and news coverage, including the South Dade News Leader. Candidates who wish to submit corrections may contact us through our Contact page.