As Florida voters take to the polls, residents in the state's 27th congressional district are once again choosing between Republican candidate Maria Elvira Salazar and incumbent Democrat Donna Shalala.
Shalala beat Salazar for the same position in in 2018, taking the spot that Ileana Ros-Lehtinen had held for three decades.
DECISION 2020
This year, both campaigns have raised and spent millions of dollars, though political analysts and pollsters still believe Shalala has the upper hand, according to NBC 6 political analyst Carlos Curbelo.
"Shalala has enjoyed more exposure and name recognition since being elected," Curbelo said. "President Trump is doing better with Miami-Dade in Spanish than he did four years ago, so Salazar has that working in her favor, but it is certainly still an uphill climb for her."
In 2018, congresswoman Shalala received 52% of the votes, while Salazar got 46% and a third Trump candidate received the remaining 2%.
The candidates differ significantly on key issues, such as healthcare and the economy. Shalala has built her 2020 campaign around education and climate change; Salazar, a Miami native whose parents fled Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba, has focused her campaign on job growth and an anti-socialism message.
District 27 stretches from North Bay Village south to Cutler Bay and west into Kendall. It is a densely populated area, with a highly diverse electorate.
Follow NBC 6 for the Latest Results & Analysis
Stay with NBC 6 and nbc6.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube, where we'll be posting the latest updates and analyses.
You can also download our app for iOS or Android for South Florida’s most comprehensive coverage of Decision 2020.
