Florida has ordered a machine recount in its 27th congressional district, in Miami-Dade County, after Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar led Democrat Eliott Rodriguez by about 1,100 votes. That is 0.44% of the votes cast in the 3 November midterm election.
Salazar has said she won, but the result is not official until the recount is filed, with a reported deadline of 3 p.m. on Thursday 12 November. Salazar is a Cuban-American Republican in a Latino-majority district, which makes this contest important for readers across the United States.
Key Facts
- Margin. Salazar leads by about 1,100 votes, or 0.44%, in the tallies we found.
- Why a recount. Florida law requires a machine recount when the gap is 0.5% or less.
- Deadline. The new tabulation is reportedly due by 3 p.m. on Thursday 12 November.
- Manual count. Only if the gap falls to 0.25% or less, about 620 votes.
A lead of about 1,100 votes is inside Florida’s 0.5% recount line, and a manual count would start only if it shrinks to roughly 620.
How Florida’s Recount Works
Florida’s Department of State ordered the machine recount, and no candidate can request it. A machine recount re-tabulates every ballot when the gap is 0.5% or less.
If the second tabulation leaves the gap at 0.25% or less, a manual recount follows, but it reviews only ballots with overvotes (more than one choice marked) and undervotes (no choice recorded). Both stages are open to the public.
How Far the Numbers Must Move
With roughly 248,000 votes cast, 0.25% is about 620 votes, so Salazar’s lead of about 1,100 would need to shrink by close to 480. The recount runs the same ballots through the machines again.
A reversal would require the recount to erase Salazar’s entire lead. Rodriguez has said he will not concede until the recount is finished.
The Lawsuit
On Thursday 5 November, Rodriguez asked that Miami-Dade elections supervisor Alina García step aside from the three-member canvassing board, which reviews ballots, citing a remark attributed to her on election night. His campaign also says García’s son-in-law, a lawyer, represents Salazar in the recount.
García has said she will not recuse herself and that there is no conflict. On Friday 6 November Rodriguez sued in the federal court for the Southern District of Florida, citing the 14th Amendment’s due process clause, and no ruling had been reported by Sunday.
Why District 27 Matters
The district runs from Little Havana to Cutler Bay and stretches towards Kendall, and is mostly Latino. Salazar won it in 2024 with 60.4% of the vote against 39.6%.
Florida voted in 2026 on a new district map. This year’s margin is far narrower than in 2024.
What It Means for You
The race is a test of how Latino voters in South Florida moved in 2026, which both parties study. Cuban-American and Venezuelan-American voters here are also part of the audience for US policy on Cuba and Venezuela.
Related coverage: Five Paths for Cuba After the US Midterms and Trump Jokes Rubio Will Parachute Into Cuba. Both show how Florida’s exile voters shape policy.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how far the recount will move the margin, or how the federal court will handle Rodriguez’s suit. The margin has varied between reports, from 1,090 to 1,116 votes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is winning Florida’s 27th district?
Republican María Elvira Salazar leads Democrat Eliott Rodriguez by about 1,100 votes, or 0.44%. That result is not yet official.
When will the recount be finished?
The machine recount results must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday 12 November 2026. A manual recount applies only if the gap falls to 0.25% or less.
Sources: Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, recount procedures and results (dos.fl.gov/elections); Miami-Dade Elections Department (miamidade.gov); US District Court, Southern District of Florida.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error