Will South Florida voters prioritize international alliances or local economic struggles when heading to the ballot box this cycle?

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South Florida voters are more likely to prioritize local economic strain, while international alliances may still matter at the margins in a district with deep Latin American ties. The clearest evidence points to affordability as the dominant issue. Florida polling cited in the background shows inflation and cost of living leading voter concerns, ahead of immigration and far ahead of foreign-policy symbolism. In Miami-Dade, housing costs are especially acute: Atlanta Fed data show median-income households in the Miami metro would need roughly double current median income to comfortably afford a median-priced home. Insurance, groceries and health care are also recurring concerns in local reporting and campaign messaging. That fits what is happening in Florida’s 27th District. Eliott Rodriguez has centered his campaign on housing, insurance, grocery and health-care costs, arguing families are focused on daily expenses. The race has tightened enough that nonpartisan analysts moved it from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican,” suggesting bread-and-butter concerns are creating political pressure even in a district Donald Trump carried comfortably in 2024. Still, Salazar’s endorsements from Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado are not meaningless. In a heavily Hispanic district with large Colombian and Venezuelan communities, such backing can reinforce her image as a representative attentive to exile and immigrant c…

Salazar Touts Colombian President's Endorsement in 2026 Re-election Bid

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Salazar Touts Colombian President's Endorsement in 2026 Re-election Bid

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