EMILY’s List endorses Lucia Báez-Geller in bid to unseat María Elvira Salazar

Lucia Baez-Geller has served in elected office just as long as her opponent. Image via Lucia Baez-Geller.

EMILY’s List is throwing its support behind Miami-Dade School Board member Lucia Báez-Geller as she mounts a bid in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.

That seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar. Báez-Geller is one of two Democrats competing to take on Salazar in November.

“Floridians in the 27th Congressional District are ready for a leader who puts their lives, their families, and their futures ahead of political games. Lucia Báez-Geller is that leader, and EMILY’s List is proud to endorse her today in this key flip seat,” EMILY’s List President Jessica Mackler said in a Tuesday statement announcing the endorsement.

“In Congress, she’ll fight for Florida, defending the freedom to make our personal health care decisions ourselves. Báez-Geller is an outstanding advocate and community servant, and she is the right candidate to take this seat back from María Elvira Salazar and deliver meaningful change in the district.”

EMILY’s List support for Báez-Geller comes as little surprise. The group is a national organization whose mission is to elect pro-abortion rights Democratic women to office. Báez-Geller is the only Democratic woman in the race. Her opponent is Mike Davey, a former Republican who served as Key Biscayne Mayor.

Still, the endorsement means additional resources for Báez-Geller as she seeks to win back a seat Democrats lost in 2020 after holding it for one term.

Republicans Frank Polo and Lara Royland are also competing for the GOP nomination.

EMILY’s List has gotten involved in this race in years past. But last cycle served as an easy win for Salazar, who beat former Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo by nearly 15 points. But that was in a historically strong year for Republicans, and Democrats are hoping to have better luck this cycle, particularly considering success nationwide in the 2022 midterms as Democrats ran and won on the abortion issue.

The district spans Miami, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, Key Biscayne, Pinecrest, North Bay Village, South Miami, West Miami and several unincorporated neighborhoods.