(WSVN) - It’s déjà vu all over again in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
In this year’s election, the same matchup from 2018 is back. Only this time, Democrat Donna Shalala is the incumbent.
“The issues that I promised I would fight for, including social security and Medicare, I have been the leader, one of the leaders in Congress,” she said.
Republican Maria Elvira Salazar is back, hoping to make Shalala a one-term member of Congress.
“I’m really going to work. Donna is for Donna, Maria is for Miami,” she said. “I do not want the title, I want the job. Donna just wanted the title, and she proved it. She stayed in Washington. She profited from her position. I’m going to donate my salary.”
The district, created in 2012, was once represented by congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and includes Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood and runs from Miami Beach to Coral Gables and Kendall.
Salazar, a former television personality, said she’s the right person for the district.
“I’m going to create an employment division for anyone in District 27 that wants to have a better economy, make more money, learn how to do something else, or if they’re a small business and they want to tap into those federal funds, I’m going to be there for them,” Salazar said.
Shalala said her track record in the community and knowledge about healthcare policy makes her a needed voice in Congress.
“I have the largest enrollment in the Affordable Care Act of any congressional district in the country, and the republicans are in court to destroy it, including pre-existing condition coverage,” Shalala said.
Salazar talked about the importance of getting South Florida’s economy back on track.
“I would say that we have to concentrate on the economy and those that were affected by the virus healthwise,” she said. “I’m sure they are better now, but now they have to reinvigorate, they have to grow again, economically speaking.”
The issue of socialism is looming large in South Florida politics with republicans trying to label democrats.
“I am here to tell you it is capitalism, not socialism, and this election is not between people or among contenders, this election is between two ideologies,” Salazar said.
Shalala said there is no mistaking her beliefs.
“I’ve created thousands of jobs through the University of Miami, through small businesses, so I’ve had a lot of experience,” Shalala said. “I’m really a capitalist, a real capitalist, and that is one of those job creating capitalists.”
It is a tight race and the rematch of the 27th District contest in 2018 is one that drew a lot of interest and a lot of money.
Republicans hope they can flip the seat back this time around.
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