@alextdaugherty
Candidates for federal office in Florida had until noon Friday to make their bids official, and all four incumbents running for Congress in Miami-Dade districts will face opposition in November.
Two of the incumbents, Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo and Miami Gardens Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson will face primary challenges, though they will be overwhelming favorites to win the August primary election. Wilson will be heavily favored to keep her seat in a deep blue district against a candidate who has also filed to run for U.S. Senate in Florida and Congress in California. While Curbelo's primary will likely be non-competitive, he likely faces a competitive general election challenge from Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Two Democrats who considered challenging Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart dropped out after former judge Mary Barzee Flores switched races yesterday. Diaz-Balart and Barzee Flores will not have primary challengers.
And Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz, the fourth incumbent running for reelection in Miami-Dade, won't face a Democratic primary like she did in 2016. Tim Canova is running again after raising millions but falling well short of knocking off the former DNC chair, but this time he's running as an independent. There will also be a Republican primary in Wasserman Schultz's Democratic-leaning district.
The largest primary field on both sides is the race to replace retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. The district is considered a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats and four of them, former University of Miami president Donna Shalala, state Rep. David Richardson, former Knight Foundation Director Matt Haggman and Miami Beach commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez have all raised over $100,000. TV journalist Maria Elvira Salazar and former Miami-Dade commissioner Bruno Barreiro have raised the most money on the Republican side. The race to replace Ros-Lehtinen is the most crowded in Florida as 9 Republicans, 5 Democrats and 1 no party candidate have filed paperwork to run.
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Republican Gov. Rick Scott both qualified to run for Nelson's Senate seat, as expected. Neither faces a competitive primary.
Full list of Miami-Dade congressional candidates below:
District 27 (Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is retiring):
Elizabeth Adadi (R)
Bruno Barreiro (R)
Angie Chirino (R)
Kristen Rosen Gonzalez (D)
Matt Haggman (D)
Mayra Joli (NPA)
Stephen Marks (R)
Michael Ohevzion (R)
Maria Peiro (R)
David Richardson (D)
Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera (R)
Maria Elvira Salazar (R)
Donna Shalala (D)
Gina Sosa (R)
District 26 (incumbent Rep. Carlos Curbelo is running for reelection)
Carlos Curbelo (R)
Souraya Faas (R)
Demetries Andrew Grimes (D)
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D)
District 25 (incumbent Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is running for reelection)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R)
Mary Barzee Flores (D)
District 24 (incumbent Rep. Frederica Wilson is running for reelection)
Frederica Wilson (D)
Ricardo De La Fuente (D)
District 23 (incumbent Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is running for reelection)
Tim Canova (NPA)
Don Endriss (NPA)
Joseph Kaufman (R)
Carlos Reyes (R)
Carla Spalding (R)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)
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