Meet the South Florida primary candidates for U.S. House and Senate
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The primary elections are less than one month away.
Why it matters: Miami-Dade residents will vote in local races, but they'll have the opportunity to elect their representatives at the federal and state level, too.
- ICYMI: Here are our election guides for the county commission, school board and Miami Gardens races, plus the city of Miami Marine Stadium referendum.
Reminder: The vote-by-mail ballot request deadline is Aug. 6. (Request one here.)
- Early voting runs from Aug. 3-16.
- Election day is Aug. 18.
Here are the races we're watching. (Full sample ballot here … get your personalized sample ballot here).
U.S. Senate
The Democratic primary has two candidates seeking the party's nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody.
- Moody, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Marco Rubio when he became U.S. secretary of state, doesn't face any major GOP challengers in the primary.
- Candidates include Army veteran Chris Gleason, physician Neelam Taneja Perry and Rev. Ernie Rivera.
State Rep. Angie Nixon: The Jacksonville representative, who was first elected in 2022, supports an annual wealth tax on billionaires to support services like Medicare for All and universal childcare and pre-K.
- Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, wants to close corporate tax loopholes and invest in affordable housing.
Alex Vindman: The retired Army lieutenant colonel and witness in President Trump's first impeachment trial, supports tax relief for middle-class families and closing loopholes for "tax cheats."
- He supports expanding Medicare and lowering drug prices. He told "The Florida Roundup" that home insurance is also something to tackle when it comes to affordability.
U.S. House
District 24
Seven candidates are running to succeed U.S. Rep Frederica Wilson.
- Marshall L. Davis Sr. is the managing director of Miami-Dade's African Heritage Cultural Arts Center and is campaigning on affordability and advocating for seniors.
- Oliver G. Gilbert III, outgoing Miami-Dade County commissioner, supports better public transit and allocating federal dollars to connect the Metrorail to the Broward County line, per the Miami Herald.
- Shevrin "Shev" Jones, outgoing Florida state senator, said that he's running on kitchen-table issues and economic anxieties and that he'll work to ensure permanent legal status for Temporary Protected Status holders.
- Kendrick Meek, grandson of the late U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, wants to build more affordable housing and expand Medicaid.
- Rudolph Moise, a physician, wants to lower healthcare costs and end Trump's tariffs.
- Jean Monestime, former Miami-Dade commissioner, wants to expand affordable housing and invest in education and small businesses.
- Roderick Vereen, an attorney, spoke to the Miami Times about the need to address the district's poverty rate.
District 25
Five Republicans and two Democrats are running in the primary for the newly formed district running along the state's east coast.
Republicans
- Dan Franzese, a businessman and Trump supporter, is campaigning on affordability, accountability and "America First" ideals.
- Raven Harrison is running to ensure her district "thrives under the Trump administration and beyond."
- Joseph "Joe" Kaufman, a counter-terrorism expert, has an "American First" platform.
- George R. Moraitis, a military veteran and former state representative, supports securing the border and "removing criminals that are here illegally."
- Scott Singer, former Boca Raton mayor, supports rolling back federal regulations that increase housing construction costs and banning congressional stock trading, per the Miami Herald.
Democrats
- U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a staunch defender of Israel, has blamed Republicans for Medicare cuts and has been a strong advocate for gun violence prevention, WLRN reported.
- Oliver Adams Larkin, a Democratic Socialist of America candidate, is campaigning on Medicare for All, increasing the federal minimum wage, and ending aid to Israel, per WLRN.
District 27
Incumbent U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar is facing attorney V. Michael Arias in the Republican primary as she seeks a fourth term.
- Salazar has advocated for TPS extensions and co-authored the Dignity Act to speed up asylum processing, per Local 10.
- Arias told the Miami Herald the biggest issue in the district is housing costs and has proposed eliminating the capital gains tax. He said that Congress "isn't doing its job" of holding Trump accountable and that he opposes the president's termination of TPS for Haitians and Venezuelans.
Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination: Robin Peguero, a former federal prosecutor, and Eliott Rodriguez, a former TV anchor.
- Peguero, a Democratic capitalist, plans to tackle affordability, and his economic plan focuses on middle-class relief, per WLRN.
- Rodriguez told the Herald that he thinks a low-interest mortgage program for young families would help address the affordability crisis and that he supports restoring healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.