Rep. María Elvira Salazar has secured re-election in Florida's 27th Congressional District, NBC News projects, despite running campaign ads openly criticizing President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies. The three-term Republican congresswoman from Miami won her race after telling Trump directly in a televised campaign spot that his immigration efforts had "gone too far."

Bold Campaign Gambit Pays Off

Salazar's September campaign advertisement featured a direct message to the president. "Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far," she declared in the 30-second spot. "The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today."

The ad represented a striking political calculation in Miami-Dade County, where Cuban American and Venezuelan American voters have traditionally supported Republicans. Salazar won her 2024 re-election by 20 points, but Trump's aggressive ICE operations in South Florida communities created political turbulence heading into the 2026 midterms.

Immigration Hard Line Tests South Florida GOP

Salazar has championed the DIGNIDAD Act, her legislative proposal offering a pathway to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants. The move put her at odds with hardline conservatives in the Republican conference who oppose any measures resembling amnesty.

Most of her fellow Republicans who signed onto the DIGNIDAD Act lost their re-election bids last week, according to Breitbart News. Salazar herself faced a recount scenario, barely ahead of her Democratic challenger in initial tallies before ultimately prevailing.

Miami Republicans Navigate Trump Era

The congresswoman's survival represents an unusual outcome in the 2026 Republican midterm landscape. While Republicans elsewhere struggled with voter backlash over various Trump administration policies, Salazar demonstrated that criticizing specific presidential decisions could work politically in heavily Hispanic districts.

Her willingness to publicly oppose Trump on immigration enforcement distinguished her from most GOP incumbents, who maintained lockstep loyalty to the president throughout the campaign cycle. The Florida Phoenix noted that Salazar has represented the 27th District since 2020, building community ties that may have insulated her from potential primary challenges.

Politico documented how Trump's ICE crackdown created unique political pressures in Miami. Local voters who backed Trump in 2024 expressed concerns about enforcement tactics affecting their own communities, creating an opening for Republicans like Salazar to position themselves as moderating voices within the party.