US Congressional Dist. 27, Rep. Salazar trying to hold onto seat, challenged by Taddeo
MIAMI - The race for U.S. Congressional District 27 features a classic Democrat versus Republican stand off.
The incumbent is a Republican, former television news anchor, while the challenger is a state senator and Democratic Party activist.
Here's a look at the candidates and some of their thoughts on the issues.
Senator Annette Taddeo was the Chairperson of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and also a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014.
Taddeo: "What we need is, we need representatives that, representatives in Washington that are actually going to work across the aisle and get things done," she said.
Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar is best known as a Miami and national television news anchor. She's currently serving her first term in the United States House of Representatives.
Salazar: "Interest rates are going up, people can't buy a home, can't finance a home, cannot buy a car, or the equipment they need in this mess," she said.
What are the candidates' thoughts on dealing with the economy?
Taddeo: "At the federal level I would be someone that would work toward more funding for workforce housing."
Salazar: "You stop the bloodshed, stop printing money. When you print money, prices go up."
Pain at the pump is a critical economic issue for voters.
Salazar: "I know that climate change and the environment are very important but at the same time I do know that people need to drive their cars and can't be paying 60% more for gas."
Taddeo: "We need to deal with the now and the price gouging and also make sure we invest in new energy ways because we can't continue to depend on just oil."
Crime is also a top issue on any voter's list.
Taddeo: "I am the daughter of a military man and I learned to shoot a gun from him at a young age, I can tell you I learned to respect weapons of war. They belong in war, not on our streets. That has been something I've been fighting in Tallahassee and will fight in Washington when I get there."
Salazar: "I voted in favor of moving the age from 18-21 for those people who want to buy semi-automatic weapons. If that law would have been in the books, we would have been able to avoid Parkland and Uvalde."
Abortion as an issue?
Salazar: "So why don't we leave that to the states and have each population from California, to Florida, to Minnesota, to Mississippi, for those voters and those constituents to decide what are the rules of the game when it comes to abortion."
Taddeo: "I am 100 percent going to vote to codify Roe v. Wade into law......"
Political pundits and pollsters seem to agree District 27 is one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation.