Ryan Nicol
The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP) PAC is supporting Maria Elvira Salazar as she competes for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
The group is selecting Salazar, who ran in the district in 2018, over her opponent in the Republican primary, Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio.
“Maria Salazar is a staple figure in her community with an unrivaled passion for the people of South Florida,” said Sarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of RMSP.
“No one is more capable of fighting for Florida in Washington, D.C. and we look forward to getting her across the finish line.”
Tarrio’s candidacy is somewhat controversial given his association with the Proud Boys, a self-labeled “Western chauvinist” group.
The Proud Boys group has garnered controversy for its involvement in acts of violence.
The most high-profile example occurred in 2018 in New York City, when a group of Proud Boys members were seen assaulting protesters following a speech by the group’s then-leader, Gavin McInnes.
In October, two Proud Boys members were sentenced to four-year prison terms for the attack.
Salazar, meanwhile, emerged from a crowded Republican primary in 2018 in an effort to replace outgoing GOP U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. But Salazar was defeated by Democratic candidate Donna Shalala by 6 percentage points in the general election.
The RMSP PAC included Salazar in its first set of “Suburban Candidate” endorsements. According to the group, Salazar completed the RMSP PAC’s first “Suburban Candidate School” on Nov. 20.
“The program is tailored to teach candidates how to win their suburban districts with a core curriculum that addresses appealing to suburban women, working with unions, building a boots on the ground game, and targeting ads via social media,” according to a release from the RMSP PAC.
Salazar managed to outraise Shalala during the third quarter of 2019. That fundraising report was the first filed by Salazar since she entered the race. The Republican candidate has also earned support from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
