Ana Maria Rodriguez wins in district recently deemed flippable

Miami-Dade Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez was first elected to half a Senate term in 2020; now, she’s won another four years as no challenger emerged after the deadline to qualify to run ticked down.

The Republican real estate agent, who started her political career winning a seat on the Doral City Council, was effusive with thanks for the support.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I am humbled, grateful, and simply blessed,” she wrote on Facebook Friday. “As a good friend says: Life is good when you live it well.”

Rodriguez won in a district renumbered in redistricting, from Senate District 30 to SD 40. The redistricting shaved off some of the northeastern portions of her territory, but it was left largely intact. It covers southern Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.

In 2020, the conventional wisdom deemed the Senate seat “hotly contested” before she decisively beat Rep. Javier Fernandez with a dominating 13-point win in that election. It was believed his moderate positions indicated the seat was flippable.

Rodriguez succeeded Republican Sen. Anitere Flores, who termed out of office in 2020.

Following an even easier path to victory Friday, Rodriguez thanked God, her family, colleagues, and supporters for assorted reasons. However, she thanked constituents “for believing in me in 2020, against all odds.”

The new SD 40 elected President Donald Trump by 5.6 percentage points, according to Matt Isbell of MCI Maps.

Rodriguez served as Doral Vice Mayor and two terms on the City Council before winning a seat representing House District 105.

Even without a competitor, Rodriguez has stacked up the cash. The Senator posted one of her best fundraising months this election cycle in May, hauling in $130,785.

Between her personal account and political committee, Ethics and Honesty in Government, she holds $735,847. Her campaign kitty can now go to help other Republicans, as she did for Sen. Juan Fernandez-Barquin in May.