• Sen. Annette Taddeo handily won her primary race on Tuesday night, defeating City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell by 41 points 
• Taddeo will go on to face María Elvira Salazar in November in what is shaping up to be one of the state’s most tightly contested elections 
• Taddeo, who initially ran for governor, was seen as a heavy favorite once dropping out and shifting focus to Congressional District 27

Sen. Annette Taddeo on Tuesday night won the Democrat primary for Florida’s Congressional District 27, defeating City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell by 41 points.

Taddeo received 67.8 percent of the vote, far surpassing the 26 percent garnered by Russell and the 6.2 percent obtained by Angel Montalvo.

From her entry in the race, Taddeo was perceived to be a heavy favorite, leading the initial primary poll by 36 points. Shortly after the announcement of her campaign, Taddeo received a series of endorsements from lawmakers including Reps. Charlie Crist, Lois Frankel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and former lawmaker Donna Shalala.

“I am incredibly honored to be the Democratic Nominee for Florida’s 27th Congressional District and I’m especially grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me,” said Taddeo. “Miamians need a true public servant representing us in Congress, someone that will always put the needs of our communities over special interests and big corporations.”

Originally running for the Senate seat that Sen. Marco Rubio occupies, Russell dropped from the race, shifting to CD-27 as it became increasingly clear that Rep. Val Demings would win the Democratic primary. In dropping his candidacy, received an endorsement from former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy.

Taddeo in early June terminated her gubernatorial campaign, opting to run in what is widely considered one of Florida’s most tightly contested elections. With the primary win, Taddeo will square off against the incumbent Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar.

Republicans currently have a slight advantage in the district thanks to the new congressional maps supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but still maintains its status as one of the most evenly divided in the state.

“In Congress I’m not just going to stand up for our freedoms, I’ll also work across the aisle to make changes that will make our families safer, our schools better, and our economy stronger for middle-class families,” continued Taddeo. “I know that we have what it takes to flip this district because Miami: I believe in us.”

Congratulations to @Annette_Taddeo on winning her primary! Florida’s 27th District deserves a representative like Annette who will take meaningful action to move their community forward, not one who takes action to dismantle progress. pic.twitter.com/vlXUXBnJ2e

— Latino Victory (@latinovictoryus) August 24, 2022

Early polling shows Taddeo within reachable distance to Salazar. A July survey conducted by Floridians for Economic Advancement showed Taddeo just four points behind the incumbent. 39 percent of respondents answered in support of Salazar, while 34 percent favored Taddeo. However, 27 percent maintained an uncertainty as to who their vote lies with, indicating a possible influx of voters for either candidate.