DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - The current mayor of Miami-Dade County and a former TV anchor will face off against Democratic incumbents during November’s general election for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar will challenge Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Donna Shalala when Miami-Dade County voters head to the polls in 75 days. The result of Miami-Dade’s election could determine which party holds a majority in Congress.
Shalala, who represents District 27, will once again go head-to-head against Salazar, whom she defeated by six points to secure the seat in 2018.
“That’s how I got elected because I created jobs in the community, I had taken a university to new heights,” Shalala said. “Now, I can run on a record, a strong record on healthcare, on bringing money back to our community, including our hospitals during the most difficult period as well as money for our schools.”
Salazar is focusing her 2020 campaign on jobs.
“We have a threat of socialism,” she said. “I’m going to transform my Congressional district office into an employment center. If you want a better job, if you want to be retrained paid by the feds, if you want to find a better job, you come to me, and I will help you find it.”
Further south is a contested seat for District 26 between Gimenez, the termed out mayor of Miami-Dade County, and incumbent Mucarsel-Powell.
The representative focused on the fight against the coronavirus during a Wednesday news conference.
“We need to take control of this virus now,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “We have been calling to expand testing, implement a contact tracing program and fund safe places for individuals to quarantine. We need to continue to put money into people’s pockets.”
The Democratic incumbent’s campaign took a jab at Gimenez in a political advertisement released following his primary victory.
“It just shows her level of desperation and the kind of person that she is,” Gimenez said. “Hey, tell us what you’ve done, tell us what you’re going to do. Today, we had our first less than 10% positivity rate on our tests, our hospitalizations continue to go down. It’s not an easy situation. She’s really quick to criticize but never really has a solution. All she can do is criticize.”
Gimenez hopes voters look at his tenure and record as mayor.
“Before that, as commissioner. I have a clear record of accomplishment here in Miami-Dade,” Gimenez said.
Both political parties have spent millions of dollars into both Congressional races ahead of the November election.
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