MIAMI.- Congressmen Carlos Giménez, representative of the 28th district, and María Elvira Salazar, of the 27th district, called on voters to participate this Tuesday, November 3, in the midterm elections and explained their positions on immigration, Venezuela, Cuba, and the political direction of the country. Both are two of the three Cuban-American federal representatives from South Florida who are vying for their respective seats in the current electoral elections.
Giménez addressed the press before voting at the precinct at Plymouth Congregational Church in Miami. Salazar did it on Village Green Way in Key Biscayne. Both are seeking re-election, but they raised different arguments to convince voters. Despite the high voter turnout, both agreed on the importance of going out to vote.
The vote, a duty and a decision about the future
Congressman Giménez said he was confident in his re-election and that the Republicans would have a better result than the polls anticipated. However, he asked those who had not yet voted to go to the polls.
“Vote your conscience, but vote,” he said. For the congressman, participating is a right and also a duty, in tribute to those who gave their lives to protect the country’s freedoms.
When speaking about immigration, Giménez supported closing the border and deporting people with criminal records, gang members and those who have deportation orders. His disagreement with the Trump Administration, he explained, due to the measures taken against those who have been in the United States for years, work and have not committed crimes.
“We have millions of people who are working here in the US, they are part of our economy,” he stated. In his opinion, it is necessary to find a solution so that they can remain in the country and live without fear, although not necessarily through a direct path to citizenship.
Giménez considered that immigration policy could influence the electoral result and said that he, Salazar and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart had been raising their concerns to the Trump Administration for more than a year. Regarding the possibility of approving the Dignity Law if the majority in Congress changes, he noted that this project or other initiatives could be discussed, but maintained that a proposal that brings together different elements of immigration reform would be preferable.
He also responded to Donald Trump’s statements about Venezuela. Giménez said that he did not believe that the president had the intention of turning that country into the 51st state. He stated that the objective should be for Venezuelans to recover democracy and be able to elect their authorities.
The congressman expressed his hope that Venezuela will hold free presidential elections in 2027 and mentioned July 24 as a possible date. He presented as preliminary steps the renewal of the electoral body and the Supreme Court. He also said that he hoped that María Corina Machado would become president.
Regarding Cuba, Giménez maintained that Trump was committed to the freedom of the island and that the president would need the support of congressmen to promote that objective. He contrasted the Republican position, which he described as opposed to the Cuban regime, with that of the Democrats, whom he accused of dialoguing with the Government of Havana.
The congressman warned that the election should not be judged only by the price of gasoline, food or housing at that time, because those costs can change. He presented it as a decision about the future of the country and the next generations. He also anticipated a close legislative race, in which either party could win a slim majority.
Salazar: “look at actions and not words”
Salazar said Trump had endorsed him earlier that day and downplayed the public disagreement the two had had. He noted that there can be differences within a party and that, after expressing his objections, he had not received pressure from the Republican leadership or the president.
Salazar defended his critical stance on immigration policy and said he had raised his objections “with respect.” The congresswoman is promoting, together with Democrat Verónica Escobar, the Dignity Law, a bipartisan project that proposes strengthening border security and establishing a process so that certain undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for years can obtain legal status if they meet the requirements. The proposal was introduced in Congress as HR 4393 but has not yet been approved. Salazar claimed to speak on behalf of the residents of District 27, where – as he described – African-American, white and Hispanic communities of different origins coexist.
The congresswoman said that immigration is one of the main issues for the residents of South Florida. He denied that his position benefited him electorally; She maintained that she spoke out because she believed it was the right thing to do and that, if voters re-elected her, she would continue to advocate for immigration reform. When asked how immigration reform could advance if Trump vetoed Democratic initiatives, Salazar did not respond directly. He said we would have to wait for the election results and expressed confidence that he could convince the president of the need for reform.
Regarding Venezuela, Salazar asked to evaluate actions instead of President Trump’s statements. Look at the facts, he stated: María Corina Machado is already in the country and organizing the opposition forces, and since it has been ordered to renew the National Electoral Council. He credited Trump and the Republicans with contributing to the departure of Nicolás Maduro and avoiding a civil war in that country, in addition to allowing the opposition to organize.
Get off the couch and go vote
Regarding the current elections, feeling supported by her voters, including independents and Hispanic Democrats. He maintained that in District 27 many people vote for the candidate and not only for the party, and expressed confidence in his performance, although he recognized that the final decision was up to the voters.
Regarding the possibility of a “blue wave,” which would change the composition of Congress and the Senate, Salazar avoided anticipating the result and said that the votes would have to be counted. He also expressed concern about the influence that, in his opinion, socialists exert within the Democratic Party.
Closing her remarks, she asked voters in District 27 to vote for her if they wanted her to continue in office. He summed up his call like this: “Get off the couch and go vote.”
On these rainy afternoons in some parts of South Florida, polls will remain open until 7 p.m.
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