With 5 days left before Floridians take to the polls, the Miami Herald has endorsed Florida state Senator Annette Taddeo (D). Vying for Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s (R) congressional seat, state Senator Taddeo has significantly accrued support in her bid. Salazar has pushed back against Taddeo, calling her a socialist, but Taddeo’s campaign is confident that district 27 could go blue on November 8th.
Salazar has received support from prominent Republicans in Florida like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), and while Taddeo has received support from prominent Democrats in the state, the Florida Democrat can now add the support of the Miami Herald.
I’ve earned the respect of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle bc I’ve always put country over party.
This is why I’ve earned the support of The @MiamiHerald, one of the most reputable newspapers in Miami-Dade County. pic.twitter.com/Z7gr9gdlIT
— Annette Taddeo (She/Her/Ella) (@Annette_Taddeo) November 3, 2022
In the Herald’s endorsement, the newspaper argued that it “hinges not only on Taddeo’s background, because, for all of Salazar’s bluster against totalitarian regimes, she hasn’t defended democracy at home.”
In response to the endorsement, the congressional hopeful took to social media, writing, “I’ve earned the respect of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” adding that she’s focused on putting “country over party.”
“This is why I’ve earned the support of The Miami Herald, one of the most reputable newspapers in Miami-Dade County,” Taddeo concluded.
Florida district 27 rejected Florida Rep. Donna Shalala (D) in the 2020 election, but the district also rejected Salazar in the 2018 election. Because of this, Taddeo has argued that the district is not firmly Republican. In order to add pressure to the Salazar campaign, Taddeo has criticized Salazar, calling her “anti-freedom” while also telling constituents that Salazar is not invested in fighting for them. Considered one of the state’s most “at-risk” lawmakers, Salazar is still reported to have an advantage in finances over Taddeo, so time will tell if the prospect of a “red wave” will keep her in office when the election is said and done.
In late October, the Miami Herald released numerous other endorsements, which included Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) for governor.
