Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) is using her political leverage in Miami to the fullest advantage against Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez amid U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y. )'s recent visit to Florida's 27th Congressional District (FL CD 27).
Eliott Rodriguez brought the man who wants to lead the socialists in Congress into a Cuban bakery in Miami and, in one move, showed just how little he knows this community.
He and his socialist friends turned a Cuban small business into a political prop and left the business dealing with the fallout.
It is an insult to parade this ideology through a community built by survivors of socialism and embrace the very people who champion it.
If Eliott does not understand the people he is asking to serve, how can Miami trust him in Congress? https://t.co/Gfy41MQcfM
— MarĂa Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) October 20, 2026
"It is an insult to parade this ideology through a community built by survivors of socialism and embrace the very people who champion it," Rep. Salazar wrote on X. “If Eliott does not understand the people he is asking to serve, how can Miami trust him in Congress?"
Minority Leader Jeffries' Visit to Miami
Congresswoman Salazar’s comments stem from Congressman Jeffries’ Oct. 16 Miami visit, where he and Rodriguez held a small event inside the Cuban American-owned CAO Bakery & Café.
Backlash From Local Figures
Minority leader Jeffries’ appearance sparked controversy within the community, with figures like Josue Alvarez questioning why a business with a Cuban background would be accepting of Democratic leadership in its building.
“Why would a bakery built on the legacy of Cuban exiles, of the rejection of communism, open its doors and platform this week to leadership of a political party that works with democratic socialists?” Alvarez asked.
CAO Bakery's Response
Amid the growing backlash, CAO Bakery partner and chief marketing officer Yvette Cao – who appeared alongside Congressman Jeffries and Rodriguez – issued a statement denouncing socialism and clarifying the situation.
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Both Democratic Members' Set The Record Straight on Socialism
The backlash against the two proves to be a difficult challenge for Democrats to secure control of Congress, as the public continues to view them as socialists despite their public comments.
During that same visit in CAO Bakery, Rodriguez affirmed he isn't a socialist and that the socialist rhetoric is being used to absolve the Trump administration of its faults.
"Well that's just rhetoric, and that is just an easy way not to defend the record of what's happening right now; to call somebody a socialist or a communist," Rodriguez said. "I am far from that. I am the product of capitalism, free enterprise and hard work."
"I am very well aware of what communism has done to my community, our community here, and I am far from that," Rodriguez affirmed, citing his family's suffering at the hands of the Cuban government.
Minority Leader Jeffries has also denounced the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)'s agenda, telling NBC News:Â "I don't support the DSA agenda as has been articulated by the DSA itself."
Public Ridicule Can Boost Salazar's Win
The public's ridicule could help solidify Congresswoman Salazar's reelection in the race against Rodriguez, especially if he continues to be depicted as a socialist despite his public comments.
As of Oct. 20, 2026, Rep. Salazar's chances of winning sit at 69.5%, according to VoteHub.
