MAGA lawmaker who called out Trump faces federal recount fight: report

A Florida Democrat went to federal court Friday to keep Miami-Dade’s elections chief off the recount in his race against Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, after the official said Salazar would win either way, NBC News reported.

Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia told the Miami Herald on election night that “Maria Elvira is the winner, with or without a recount,” and that it was “possible but not probable” there were enough remaining ballots to flip the results. Salazar led Democrat Eliott Rodriguez by 1,103 votes as of Thursday evening, a 0.44-point margin narrow enough to trigger an automatic recount.

Rodriguez’s complaint also asks for confirmation of an alleged family tie. His campaign says Salazar’s recount attorney, Robert Fernandez, is Garcia’s son-in-law. Deputy elections supervisor Juan Mendieta told NBC News, “There is no conflict. She is not recusing herself.”

Salazar, who is also named in the suit, called Rodriguez an “election denier” on X Thursday night and accused him of trying to turn the recount into a “political circus.” Her office did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment.

The race tightened in a district that both Salazar and Donald Trump won comfortably in 2024.

In September, Salazar filmed a campaign ad outside the White House telling the president that some of his immigration enforcement efforts had “gone too far.” Trump criticized her after the ad in a 13-post Truth Social tirade — but later endorsed her before Election Day.