MIAMI, Fla. — Democratic congressional nominee Eliott Rodríguez is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar to participate in three televised debates ahead of the Nov. 3 general election in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
Rodríguez, a former CBS Miami anchor whose campaign built an early advantage in the Democratic primary, proposed holding two debates in English and one entirely in Spanish.
“I’m ready — in English and Spanish — and I hope Congresswoman Salazar joins the effort,” Rodríguez said in a statement announcing the proposal.
The challenge comes just days after Rodríguez and Salazar secured their respective party nominations in Florida’s Aug. 18 primary, setting up a general-election contest between two candidates with decades of experience in South Florida television.
Rodríguez proposes October debates
Rodríguez’s campaign proposed that South Florida journalists and television stations organize and moderate the debates.
Among the potential moderators and media organizations identified by the campaign were Jim DeFede of CBS News Miami, Glenna Milberg of Local 10 and Telemundo 51.
The campaign said it is willing to negotiate with Salazar’s team over dates, formats and debate rules. Rodríguez requested a response by Sept. 1 to provide enough time for broadcasters and the campaigns to coordinate the events.
The proposed debates would take place in October.
No response from Salazar’s campaign was included in the announcement.
Two former television journalists face off
The CD-27 contest presents an unusual matchup between two candidates who were prominent South Florida journalists before entering electoral politics.
Rodríguez has increasingly emphasized his Miami roots and his bid to unseat Salazar in CD-27 as he attempts to turn his primary victory into a competitive general-election campaign.
Salazar, 64, also built a prominent career in Spanish-language television journalism before entering politics. She was first elected to Congress in 2020 and has represented Florida’s 27th Congressional District since January 2021.
Both candidates easily advanced from their Aug. 18 primaries.
Rodríguez advanced after defeating former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero in the Democratic primary, while Salazar easily won the Republican nomination.
Salazar is now seeking a fourth term in Congress.
The Republican enters the general election with a recent history of strong electoral performances. In 2024, Salazar won reelection by nearly 20 percentage points, presenting Rodríguez with the challenge of expanding his support beyond the Democratic base in November.
“Voters deserve more than campaign ads, rehearsed speeches and attacks,” Rodríguez said. “Let’s stand face to face, answer the questions and let the voters make their own decision.”
Bilingual debate could play prominent role
Rodríguez’s request for a Spanish-language debate reflects the demographics of a district where Spanish remains central to political communication.
Florida’s 27th Congressional District is located entirely within Miami-Dade County and includes communities and portions of Miami, Coral Gables, Kendall, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest, South Miami, Westchester, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.
The district has roughly 789,000 residents and a heavily Hispanic population. Census estimates indicate that approximately 76% of residents speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish overwhelmingly the most common.
Rodríguez said potential debates should address issues including the cost of living, housing affordability, property insurance, health care, immigration, public safety, Social Security, Medicare and the economy.
The debate challenge represents one of the first efforts by Rodríguez to define the general-election campaign following Tuesday’s primary.
For Salazar, accepting the proposal would put two veteran broadcasters accustomed to live television opposite each other in one of South Florida’s most closely watched congressional contests.
Whether the three debates take place will now depend in part on Salazar’s response and whether South Florida television stations agree to host them.
The candidates will face voters in the Nov. 3 general election.
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