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Democrats Make Gains in Some Key Florida House Races

Lauretta Brown
Lauretta Brown  |  November 06, 2018 10:15 PM

Florida's 26th Congressional District

Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell unseated incumbent GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo in Florida's 26th Congressional district in a pickup for Democrats. 

The race was extremely close between Cuban-American Curbelo and Ecuadorian-born Mucarsel-Powell.

Mucarsel-Powell went after Curbelo for his vote to repeal Obamacare and his support of the GOP's tax cuts.

Curbelo was a self-described moderate who broke with President Trump on immigration. 

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Florida's 27th Congressional District

In another key House pickup for Democrats, Donna Shalala, a first-time candidate and the Secretary of Health and Human Services under former President Bill Clinton, defeated Republican candidate Maria Elvira Salazar, a Latina former Univision, Telemundo, and CNN en Espanol reporter.

The race was to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Shalala was the longest-serving secretary of Health and Human Services under Clinton and she also served as president of the University of Miami for 15 years.

Florida's 15th Congressional District

Republican Ross Spano defeated Democratic candidate Kristen Carlson in Florida's 15th Congressional district after a tight race. The seat became vacant when Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) announced his retirement in April.