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Is David Rivera running a stealth Miami congressional campaign?

@PatriciaMazzei

Former Congressman David Rivera supposedly put off his campaign last month for Florida's 26th congressional district. But now, some voters say he's back.

Several older Hispanics have told other Republican candidates in the race that they received automated phone calls this week urging them to vote for Rivera. Because Rivera never formally withdrew his candidacy, his name still appears on the Aug. 26 GOP primary ballot.

No one has come forward so far with a recording of the robocall, which was first reported by the Political Cortadito blog. But one voter told the Miami Herald that the call came in Tuesday or Wednesday and it featured Rivera's recorded voice, in Spanish, reminding voters of the upcoming elections and telling them to ignore "lies" about him circulating in the media.

Another voter who received the call: the mother-in-law of Joe Martinez, he said. Martinez is campaigning for the seat along with Carlos Curbelo, Ed MacDougall and Lorenzo Palomares-Starbuck.

Rivera did not report raising any campaign money as of June 30.

A call to Rivera's cell phone Friday went straight to voice mail. He did not immediately respond to a message left by a Herald reporter.

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