Rising Republican Star Poised to Win Unlikely Race

There aren’t many bright spots for Republicans this election cycle. However, a former TV journalist has given the GOP a rare glimmer of hope in the unlikeliest of places. 

Max Greenwood, of The Hill, explains:
 

First-time candidate Maria Elvira Salazar, a popular Cuban-American former broadcast journalist, is offering Republicans in Florida a rare dose of hope in their race to defend the House.

Recent internal polls show Salazar ahead or trailing slightly behind Democrat Donna Shalala, 77, a former Health and Human Services secretary in the Clinton administration, in the race to replace Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) in the Miami-based district.

The tight race is a surprise for a seat Democrats had tipped as one of the most likely to flip in 2018 as they look to retake the House in November.

A court order three years ago redrew the lines along the 27th District, concentrating it in parts of urban Miami and its sprawling suburbs — areas that tend to be more favorable for Democrats.

Republican leaders hail Salazar as a rising star, gifted at connecting with voters in a district where three-quarters of the population is Hispanic.