# Democrats target Trump's MAGA district in Florida

> Democrats aim to flip Trump's 2024-winning Florida district with immigration focus.
- Title: Democrats target Trump's MAGA district in Florida · Newsweek
- Summary: Democrats aim to flip Trump's 2024-winning Florida district with immigration focus. Democrats seek to flip Florida's 27th Congressional District, a Trump…
- Keywords: democrats, maría elvira salazar, hakeem jeffries, eliot rodriguez, florida 27th district, immigration policy, house elections, maga district, trump, early voting, target, Trump's
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/jeffries-rodriguez-salazar-florida-27th-district-democrats-12576471
- Published: 2026-10-16T09:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: democrats, maría elvira salazar, hakeem jeffries, eliot rodriguez, florida 27th district, immigration policy, house elections, maga district, trump, early voting
## Democrats target Florida district
National Democrats plan to flip Florida's 27th Congressional District, a Trump stronghold they barely discussed a year ago.
## Jeffries and Rodriguez campaign
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries rallies with Eliott Rodriguez in Pinecrest three days before early voting opens.
## Rodriguez aims to unseat Salazar
Rodriguez targets Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar in a district Trump won by 15 points in 2024.
## DCCC's Red to Blue program
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program provides fundraising and strategic support for high-priority races.
## District's Hispanic majority
Florida's 27th District covers parts of Miami, Coral Gables, Kendall, Key Biscayne and Pinecrest with 74 percent Hispanic voters.
## Immigration crackdown impact
ICE's Miami field office made 41,300 arrests since Trump returned to office, targeting the district heavily.
## Salazar's Trump break
Salazar publicly criticized Trump's immigration enforcement after ICE detained Luis Galeano, an exiled Venezuelan journalist.
## Trump's response
Trump disagreed with Salazar but stated she would not have gotten elected without him and had gotten 'a little bit softer on the border'.
## Rodriguez's campaign angle
Rodriguez calls Salazar a 'MAGA orphan' after her break with Trump, arguing she still votes with Trump and dismisses her Dignity Act.
## Polling shows tight race
Tulchin Research poll shows Salazar leads 47 percent to 46 percent, while Bendixen & Amandi poll found the race tied at 45 percent.
## Salazar's fundraising edge
Salazar has about $2.26 million in cash on hand versus Rodriguez's $325,000 as of July 29 Federal Election Commission filing.
## Democrats need net gain
Democrats need a net gain of three seats to retake the House, with forecasters projecting a gain of nine to 19 seats.
## What happens next
The race will be decided on November 3 with Rodriguez aiming to become the first Democrat to win the seat since 2018.
## Key takeaway

Democrats seek to flip Florida's 27th Congressional District, a Trump stronghold, by targeting immigration policy shifts after Salazar's break with Trump.