Incumbent Maria Elvira Salazar wins Florida's District 27 race, CBS News projects

The Democratic candidate Eliott Rodriguez lost the closely watched Florida District 27 Congressional race to the incumbent Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who claimed victory on social media after a machine recount ended. The new totals remained nearly identical to the pre-recount results, with a 1,086-vote margin between the two candidates.

Salazar, who has represented the Miami-area seat since 2021, thanked her supporters and emphasized the importance of listening to constituents in her victory message. The recount lasted approximately 18 hours, and despite attempts by Rodriguez to remove Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia from the canvassing board, a judge dismissed his motion and allowed the recount to proceed.

Garcia later clarified that Rodriguez's victory was not probable, even without the recount. Both candidates secured their party nominations in August, and the closely watched district, which includes parts of Miami and surrounding communities, was seen as narrowly leaning Republican.