Florida District 27 congressional race in Miami heads for recount

The race for Florida's 27th Congressional District, which includes parts of Miami, remains too close to call, with incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar narrowly leading Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez. CBS News Miami reported the contest could head for a recount due to the slim margin.

According to WSVN 7News, the margin currently stands at 0.46%, which falls within Florida's 0.50% threshold for an automatic machine recount. Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia confirmed that if the margin holds, a recount will proceed. Vote-by-mail ballots are undergoing a curing process to resolve any signature issues.

Miami New Times detailed that as of Wednesday morning, Salazar had 124,474 votes (50.23%) compared to Rodriguez's 123,358 (49.77%), a difference of 1,116 votes. Both candidates have Cuban-American backgrounds and previously worked as broadcast journalists before entering politics.

Salazar has declared an early victory despite the uncalled race, emphasizing immigration as a key issue in her campaign. Rodriguez highlighted the importance of every vote in a race decided by such a narrow margin. The recount process is expected to unfold within nine days, as per Florida election rules.

This race is among several close contests in Florida, including District 26 in Hialeah. The outcome in District 27 could contribute to broader shifts in congressional representation in the state.

Miami voters and observers will be watching closely as election officials complete the recount process to determine the final winner in this tightly contested race.