In this context, it is relevant to mention that the current representatives of five districts that have jurisdiction over these counties will be running again on the ballot, once again seeking the support of voters.
There are two important dates to keep in mind: the primaries on August 20 and the general elections on November 5. Those candidates who do not face opposition within their own party will directly reach the final round of the ballot box, without going through the primaries.
Congresswomen Frederica Wilson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez are running for U.S. House Districts 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, respectively. Two of them are Democrats (Wilson and Wasserman Schultz), while three are Republicans (Díaz-Balart, Salazar and Giménez).
However, none of these congressmen are exempt from rivalry, as they face competitors determined to challenge them in the next elections, both within their own parties – although not in all cases – and from opposing political groups.
In this scenario, the ‘new faces’ of the emerging democratic process emerge, which is presented as an invaluable opportunity for those voters who are betting on the renewal of congressional seats.
District 24
Democrat Frederica Wilson is seeking her eighth consecutive term as representative for District 24, which includes areas of Opa-locka and Miami Gardens in Miami-Dade County.
Wilson, who came to Congress in 2011, will not have to participate in the August primaries, since she is the only qualified contender from her party. However, she will face the Republican who wins the August primary, a race that is being contested by Jesús Navarro and Patricia González.
Republican Navarro unsuccessfully challenged Wilson in 2022. Fellow Republican Navarro also put her name forward for that district in 2022, though she withdrew her campaign before that year’s partisan primary.
Lavern Spicer is also listed as a nonpartisan candidate. She previously faced Wilson in 2020, but her vote count was not enough to defeat her. She then tried to win the Republican seat in 2022.
Prior to his congressional career, Wilson served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002 and the Florida Senate from 2002 to 2010.
District 25
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, also a Democratic congresswoman, has a rival from her party and will therefore have to contest her nomination in the August primaries.
Wasserman Schultz, a 10-term U.S. representative, represents District 25, which covers areas of southern Broward County and northeast Miami-Dade County. His party opponent is attorney Jennifer Perelman, whom he faced at the polls in 2020.
For the Republican Party, three candidates are in the race: Chris Eddy, Bryan Leib and Rubin Young. In addition, Eddie Goldfarb will appear on the ballot as an independent candidate.
Wasserman Schultz made her congressional debut in 2005. Prior to that, she served as a state representative and senator.
District 26
Mario Diaz-Balart, who has been a US congressman since 2002, will have to compete against his Republican rivals Johnny Fratto and Richard Evans in the first round of voting in August.
If she wins the Republican primary, Diaz-Balart would face Democrat Joey Atkins, who was the only member of his party to qualify and, as such, her nomination would go directly to voters in the November election.
Díaz-Balart began his political career as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1988. In 1992, he won a seat in the Florida Senate. In 2000, he returned to the Florida House, later running for Congress.
During his time in Congress, Díaz-Balart has served as a member of several influential committees, most notably the Appropriations Committee, where he currently chairs the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
District 25 includes the cities of Hialeah and Doral in Miami-Dade County, and a large portion of neighboring Collier County.
District 27
Meanwhile, Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar is running for reelection in District 27, but first she will have to participate in the Republican primary against Royland Lara.
If Salazar wins the election, he would face the winner of the Democratic primaries in November, which are contested by candidates Mike Davey and Lucía Báez-Geller.
The journalist and television presenter entered Congress in 2020 and obtained a second term in 2022. Her district covers parts of the cities of Miami, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne.
Salazar is known for her fight for human rights and democracy, especially in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, and also for her support of US allies such as Israel, Colombia and Taiwan.
District 28
Representative Carlos Giménez, meanwhile, is preparing to participate directly in the November elections, as he will not have a rival from his party in the primaries for District 28, which covers the southwest of Miami-Dade County to Monroe County.
In the general election, Giménez will test his electoral strength against Democrat Phil Ehr, the only one qualified by his party.
First elected to Congress in 2020, Gimenez serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Homeland Security Committee, and the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
The Republican congressman was Miami City Manager from 2000 to 2003. He later served as County Commissioner from 2004 to 2011. He later served as Mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 to 2020.
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