Eliott Rodriguez is the Democratic nominee for Florida's 27th Congressional District, having defeated former prosecutor Robin Peguero 54% to 46% in the August 18, 2026 primary. He will face Republican incumbent Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who won the seat by 20 points two years ago, in the November 3 general election; the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has since shifted the race from "safe Republican" to "likely Republican" as it has grown more competitive. A lifelong resident of the district, Rodriguez is a former longtime CBS4 Miami news anchor making his first run for elected office.

Born in the Bronx, New York, to Cuban immigrant parents -- his mother a seamstress, his father a grocery store owner -- Rodriguez moved with his family to Miami at age 12 and has called the district home ever since. He earned an associate degree in journalism from Miami Dade College and a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Miami. He and his wife, Brenda, raised their own family in the district.

Rodriguez has never held elected office, but spent nearly five decades in South Florida journalism, including more than two decades as a news anchor at CBS4 Miami (WFOR-TV), with earlier stints at WPLG-Channel 10, WTVJ, and Philadelphia's WPVI-TV; he stepped away from the anchor desk in December 2025 to run for Congress. Over his career he won two Emmy Awards and four Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism. His campaign has drawn endorsements from dozens of current and former South Florida elected officials, including former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, former Congressman Ron Klein, and Florida Senate Democratic Leader Designate Shevrin Jones.