Florida’s 27th congressional district (Miami) has a slight Democratic lean— D+1. An uninspiring garden variety Democrat lost the seat— 51.4% to 48.6%— to a flashy Republican, María Elvira Salazar, in 2020, even as Biden beat Trump 51.3% to 48.1%. The state Senator from the area, Annette Taddeo, is exactly the right Democrat to reclaim the seat.
She has focused her campaign on defending freedom. María Elvira loves talking about freedom in other countries— Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela— but utterly fails to defend our own fundamental freedoms here at home. Miami needs a Representative in Congress who won’t sacrifice its people for narrow partisan gain. In her first term alone she’s shown just how comfortable she is with the extremists in her party. That has a lot to do with why former Florida Republican Party chairman Al Cárdenas endorsed Taddeo 3 days ago.
Watch this video to get a better grasp on who Annette is and why she’s running for Congress.
When Republican Senator Frank Artiles resigned in 2017, the Republican establishment— and the media— all but declared state Representative José Félix Díaz (R) the winner, even before the campaign began. And weren’t they all surprised when Annette won the seat 51.0% to 47.2%! This cycle the forecasters are once again poo-pooing Annette’s chance to oust Salazar… or were until this poll came out last week showing Annette ahead by a point.
This is one of the most important races not just in Florida, but in the country. This could well be the district that determines whether or not Kevin McCarthy becomes Speaker and whether the Republicans can outlaw abortion nationally.
I asked Annette about that specifically yesterday. “I’m appalled as a mother that my daughter and her generation will be coming of age in America with fewer rights than I was afforded growing up,” she told me. “My opponent didn’t just vote against giving women the right to control their own body, she also took it a step further by denying women the ability to travel freely to access care in other states. How can anyone talk about freedom and then support something like this?”
Annette has long been an advocate of sensible gun policies— unlike her ideologically-driven opponent. “What our children are living through in school is terrorism. I can’t believe that my own daughter and all of our kids are growing up with this kind of fear. They should be scared about bad grades and tough tests; instead, they’re worrying if they’ll make it home alive.”
Similarly, she has castigated Salazar for voting against Biden’s anti-inflation efforts. “María Elvira,” she told me, “failed our community when she voted against lowering everyday costs on goods like food and gasoline. Miami needs real representation, not someone who’s only loyalty is their extreme political party.”
Please consider helping to fund Annette’s Get Out The Vote efforts in these last 3 weeks before Election Day. That’s why I included the thermometer. Just click on it and and contribute to her campaign. Or click here.
This is the time to make a difference, not just for Miami, but for America. Because Freedom really does matter.
