Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections

A South Florida congressional candidate has taken legal action against the Miami-Dade supervisor of elections, accusing her of bias in a contentious and closely contested election.

Eliott Rodriguez, the Democratic challenger for the 27th Congressional District seat, has filed a federal lawsuit against Alina García, the supervisor of elections. The lawsuit targets García's role as a member of the county canvassing board, which oversees the recount process in this razor-thin race.

García is also being sued by Rodriguez for her earlier statement to a local newspaper that Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar was likely the winner of the election "with or without a recount". This comment has sparked concerns about García's impartiality in overseeing the recount, which could be crucial in determining the outcome of this closely contested race.

The lawsuit also highlights a potential conflict of interest due to Robert Fernández, the attorney representing Rep. Salazar in the recount, being García's son-in-law. The Rodriguez campaign has called for García's recusal from the canvassing board, citing these allegations as evidence of bias and demanding an immediate resolution.

The likelihood of the outcome changing in favor of Rodriguez is low, according to García's assessment. In her experience, recounts tend to confirm the initial results, rather than reversing them. This trend has been observed consistently, with the initial lead often holding firm.

Oren Rosenthal, general counsel for the supervisor of elections, concurred with García's view, citing his extensive experience with recounts. He estimated that in about 20 instances he had witnessed, a margin as narrow as Salazar's was unlikely to be overcome. This sentiment underscores the confidence in the initial results.

In response to allegations of bias and calls for her recusal from the canvassing board, García emphasized her role as an elected official. According to her statement, nothing disqualifies her from performing her duties, including serving on the Canvassing Board.

The lawsuit filed by Rodriguez's campaign against García alleges bias in the handling of the contentious and razor-thin race. The complaint raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest given García's connections to Republican leaders, including Salazar and President Donald Trump.

In a letter sent to García on Thursday evening, just before the final counting of ballots and certification of results was set to take place, Rodriguez's attorney demanded that García recuse herself from matters related to the election. This move is seen as an attempt to mitigate what the campaign perceives as bias in the electoral process.

García has been serving as a quasi-judicial official on the canvassing board, which is responsible for overseeing the counting and certification of votes. Her position on the board has sparked concerns about impartiality given her connections to Republican leaders, including Salazar and President Donald Trump.

The canvassing board's role in this election is particularly significant due to the close margin between the two candidates. The supervisor of elections position was previously a nonpartisan appointment by the county mayor but has since become an elected office.

Salazar and Rodriguez are both Cuban American and former journalists, which could potentially be a factor in their contentious race for office. Salazar has a strong track record of winning elections, having secured three consecutive terms to represent the heavily Hispanic 27th Congressional District.

Her district's demographics and her own background may have contributed to her ability to win comfortably alongside Trump in 2024. However, she faced criticism from Trump after releasing an ad where she broke with him on immigration policies, stating that some of his efforts had gone too far.