Jacob Ogles
Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey announced he is withdrawing from a congressional race in South Florida.
Instead, he is endorsing former Primary opponent Robin Peguero as the best Democrat to challenge U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
Meanwhile, Davey said he will launch a PAC, Defend the Dream, that will amplify immigrant voices in politics and seek fixes for America’s broken immigration system.
“I entered this race because of our broken immigration system, and that fight is more urgent than ever. For me, immigration isn’t abstract — it’s personal,” Davey said. “My wife, Maria, came here from Peru seeking safety and opportunity, and together we built our life here. Yet today’s administration vilifies families like mine. When my daughter asked why Trump hated her for being ‘brown,’ it became my clearest call to action.”
That’s part of why he now supports Peguero, a first-generation American.
“We need someone who understands the legal process inside and out, who comes from an immigrant family, who converses with ease in a district where people speak to you first in Spanish, then English,” Davey said. “I know that we have the right candidate to defeat Congresswoman Salazar in November 2026 — and that candidate is Robin Peguero. I will be supporting him in this race to elect a true champion for our community.”
Peguero welcomed the support from his former Democratic opponent.
“I’m proud to have the endorsement of a respected leader and longtime fighter for immigrant families across South Florida. Mike has consistently denounced María Elvira Salazar’s lack of advocacy for our communities and rubber-stamp for the actions of this administration, all while our neighbors are plucked off the street and thrown into prison camps without due process,” Peguero said.
“Mike’s support is a powerful sign of our momentum right out of the gates. Miamians are ready for the right leader who can take out María Elvira Salazar and put hardworking families first. I’m prepared to prosecute the case against her in every corner of the district, in Spanish and English, and pull no punches. Let’s get to work.”
Salazar, a Cuban American and Spanish speaker, is one of three Republican incumbents in Florida being targeted this cycle by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That’s familiar territory, as Salazar has faced nationally backed opposition each year since she unseated Democratic U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala in 2020.
Despite that, Salazar won re-election in November with over 60% of the vote over Democrat Lucia Báez-Geller, who had defeated Davey in a Democratic Primary.
