This Week in South Florida Full Episode: April 11, 2021
On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Broward County Mayor Steve Geller.
Truth test: Ad attacking Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar off base
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A South Florida congresswoman elected just four months ago is already the target of a tough attack ad. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Miami, is being targeted by Democrats who accuse her of supporting QAnon and the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol. Shalala is now getting help from the ad from congressional Democrats, which has aired on Local 10 and other South Florida TV stations. Ad“Republicans like Maria Elvira Salazar voted to protect Trump, letting the QAnon mob win,” the ad says. “Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar: She stood with Q, not you,” the ad says.
Gimenez, Salazar vote to punish congresswoman peddling conspiracy theories
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., goes back to her office after speaking on the floor of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – House members voted 230-199 on Thursday evening to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her two committee assignments. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Rep. Carlos Gimenez were among the 11 Republicans who voted to push the Georgia congresswoman out of the budget committee and the education and labor committee. Related storiesBIDEN ON DIPLOMACYPresident Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy, at the State Department, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Washington. Biden also said he will not withdraw troops stationed in Germany, he will welcome more refugees and protect LGBTQ around the world.
Reward up to $7,000 for information about woman’s shooting last year on I-95
MIAMI, Fla. – A $7,000 reward to help find the person responsible for a woman’s death a year ago was announced Wednesday. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Gonzalez was shot on Jan. 3 while driving south on I-95, near the 79th Street exit in the West Little River neighborhood. FDOT tells Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez the live real-time traffic monitoring cameras help first responders with situational awareness. Miami Crimestoppers is offering $5,000 towards the $7,000 reward, while Nunez has added $2,000. She is begging someone to come forward with information to help police solve her daughter’s case.
Maria Elvira Salazar to miss swearing-in ceremony after testing positive for coronavirus
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Congresswoman-elect Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Florida, announced Thursday that she has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be missing the congressional swearing-in ceremony that is scheduled for Sunday in Washington, D.C. According to a news release from her office, Salazar, 59, was admitted to Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables on Dec. 23 with heart arrhythmia and then tested positive for the virus. I hope that you can forgive me as I have been unable to communicate through social media, but I was diagnosed with COVID-19. “I am incredibly thankful to the tireless front-line medical workers in our community, who help so many people combatting the COVID-19 pandemic,” Salazar said in a statement. I look forward to hitting the ground running for my community once it is medically permissible.”
South Florida Congress-elects backed by Trump have his back in election fight
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – New members of Congress Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar were both endorsed by President Donald Trump, and they’re not about to cut him loose. And, in fact, the Trump campaign Friday dropped its legal challenge to the vote results in Arizona, which President-elect Joe Biden won. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2020Miami Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican re-elected without opposition, is totally behind the president. “We should let the legal and vote counting process continue, let the states certify their results,” he said. Gimenez says Biden should get the daily intelligence briefings, but that Trump doesn’t need to concede until all the votes are counted.
Miami-Dade Latino vote going red helped GOP win Florida, flip 2 congressional seats
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Although Joe Biden won Miami-Dade County by seven percentage points in Tuesday’s Presidential Election, he terribly underperformed there. Hillary Clinton won Miami-Dade by 30 points in 2016. Biden’s slip in Miami-Dade compared to the votes cast for Clinton in 2016 was a likely factor in Democrats losing Florida in the Presidential Election, as well as losing two incumbent Miami-Dade Congressional seats. Former Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez defeated Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and former journalist Maria Elvira Salazar upset Donna Shalala. Republicans framed the narrative, with the socialist and communist labels that hit hard in Latino communities that know dictatorships first-hand.
Cuban-American Republicans flip 2 Democratic House seats in Miami-Dade County
MIAMI – Two Cuban-American Republicans will be walking into the U.S. House next year after unseating two Democratic incumbents who outspent them during their campaigns. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is preparing to represent Florida’s 26th congressional district after defeating Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. District 27 includes an area of Miami-Dade that includes the cities of Miami, Miami Beach, South Miami, West Miami, Coral Gables, and North Bay Village. FEC records from January 2019 to October, show Mucarsel-Powell raised more than $6 million and Gimenez raised about $1.96 million. Shalala raised $3.4 million, and Salazar raised about $3.1 million.
Maria Elvira Salazar defeats incumbent Donna Shalala in race for Miami-Dade District 27 congressional seat
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The choice on the ballot for Miami-Dade County’s 27th Congressional District was the same in 2020 as it was in 2018. Miami-Dade’s voters have spoken, and Maria Elvira Salazar defeated Democratic incumbent Donna Shalala in the race for Florida District 27′s congressional seat. Shalala was the longest serving U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Miami-Dade Congressional District 27 includes Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Kendall and Key Biscayne. CLICK HERE and follow reporter Alex Finnie, who is covering Donna Shalala tonightCLICK HERE and follow reporter Sanela Sabovic, who is covering Maria Elvira Salazar tonight
This Week in South Florida Full Episode: Sept. 27, 2020
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Congressman Ted Deutch, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, congressional candidate Maria Elvira Salazar and Miami-Dade United Way Executive Director Maria Alonso join This Week in South Florida. The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.
This Week in South Florida: Maria Elvira Salazar
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla – Two years ago, there was a fierce political battle for the seat in Congress that was being vacated by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She defeated Republican candidate Maria Elvira Salazar by 15,000 votes. She is a veteran broadcast journalist based in South Florida, with stints at Telemundo, Univision and CNN Español. She also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She joined This Week in South Florida host Michael Putney to discuss the upcoming election and her plans if voted into office.