Latest news with #Peguero
Politico
3 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
New Salazar challenger talks public safety, immigration
IN MEMORIAM: State Rep. JOE CASELLO (D-Boynton Beach), an Air Force veteran, a firefighter for more than three decades and a former Boynton Beach city commissioner, died July 18. He was 73 and had planned to run for Palm Beach County Commissioner in 2026. His family is holding a private ceremony at their home in Massachusetts and a public memorial service will be announced in the coming weeks, Florida House Democrats said. Good morning and welcome to Monday. Just a few days ago, attorney ROBIN PEGUERO became the latest Democrat to line up a challenge to GOP Rep. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR. Florida's diverse 27th Congressional District has become a key flashpoint in the immigration debate ahead of the 2026 midterms. Located in South Florida and a roughly 50-mile drive from 'Alligator Alcatraz,' it runs from Cutler Bay through Coral Gables and Little Havana, then up to portions of downtown Miami. The district went heavily Republican in 2024. President DONALD TRUMP won it by 15 points, while Salazar was reelected by nearly 21 points despite being a key campaign target for Democrats. Yet the seat looks attractive to Democrats anew; it's one of just three in Florida the Democratic House's campaign arm has targeted to flip in the 2026 cycle. Other Democrats running include former Key Biscayne Mayor MIKE DAVEY, accountant ALEXANDER FORNINO and entrepreneur RICHARD LAMONDIN. Peguero is a first-time candidate. His father is Dominican and his mother is Ecuadorian. He grew up in Hialeah, then went to Harvard for both undergraduate studies and law school. And like Salazar — who is of Cuban descent and was a longtime Spanish language TV journalist — Peguero, 39, is fully bilingual. He worked as a Hill staffer and as an attorney for the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He now teaches criminal law at St. Thomas University Law School in Miami Gardens. 'I've actually been a staffer longer than the congresswoman has worked in Congress,' he told Playbook in an interview, 'so I know how to get things done.' Trump's immigration crackdown is clearly an issue affecting the Hispanic-majority district Salazar represents: The congresswoman was part of the group that toured 'Alligator Alcatraz' on July 12, according to others who attended. She also introduced bipartisan legislation last week to allow immigrants who've lived in the US for at least five years to be able to apply for work authorization for seven years, but not achieve citizenship. Through a statement provided by her campaign, Salazar said 'no one pressures me' regarding her position on immigration, adding that she answered to her constituents, God and her conscience. The legislation she introduced last week, she said, would 'seal the border, protect our economy and give dignity to those who've earned it. No amnesty. No handouts.' 'Fixing immigration is a pocketbook issue,' she continued. 'Our workers, our businesses and our communities are demanding real solutions, not political games.' Peguero says Salazar should be confronting Trump over instances in which people without criminal records have been swept up in the immigration crackdown. But he also raised his 'law and order' background that includes parents who served in the Army and the years he spent in Miami working as a homicide prosecutor. He argues the US borders need to be secured and that violent criminals need to serve their sentences then be deported. Public safety, he stressed, is one of those 'back to basics' issues for voters. 'I put violent criminals behind bars,' he said. 'These are folks terrorizing our neighborhoods, and they don't deserve the privilege of being in this country.' Peguero is also emphasizing his stance as a capitalist, as Republicans have continued to cast Democrats as 'socialists' each election cycle. 'Communism has been horrific. It has led to the death and the struggles, starvation, impoverishment for so many people throughout our history, it is absolutely not the answer — neither communism nor socialism,' he said. 'And so I just got to talk about me, how I was raised, and where I come from.' Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ and @leonardkl. ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... WHAT TO WATCH — BLAISE INGOGLIA will be formally sworn-in as Florida's next chief financial officer at a noon ceremony being held in the Cabinet room of the Florida Capitol. Gov. RON DESANTIS announced last week that he was tapping the Republican legislator and longtime ally to take the place of JIMMY PATRONIS, who stepped down from the post to run for Congress. DeSantis and first lady CASEY DESANTIS are expected to be on hand for the swearing-in ceremony, which will be followed by a private reception at the Governor's Club. Florida has been without a full-time CFO since April. The chief financial officer is a member of the Florida Cabinet and plays a key role in regulation of Florida's banking and insurance industries. It also comes with an annual salary of nearly $140,000. — Gary Fineout ALSO TODAY — US District Judge KATHLEEN WILLIAMS has called a 1 p.m. status conference over the lawsuit involving environmental concerns at 'Alligator Alcatraz.' — 'The tab for Florida's immigrant prison in the Everglades is $250 million — and counting,' by Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents. DESANTIS ON EPSTEIN FILES — The governor told Fox News Channel's BRIAN KILMEADE on Sunday that the Trump administration should release the files in the case because he believes JEFFREY EPSTEIN and GHISLAINE MAXWELL didn't act alone, and that the public wants to see others brought to justice, reports Florida Politics A.G. Gancarksi. DESANTIS V. NEWSOM FODDER — California appears to have supplanted Florida as the state with the weakest property insurance market, with newly released data showing unprecedented numbers of Californians cannot find coverage. California's property insurance crisis has grown increasingly dire in recent months while Florida has staged a stunning turnaround. In Florida, the insurance market is starting to benefit from laws enacted in 2022 after claims from major storms put roughly a dozen local insurance companies out of business, experts said. — POLITICO's E&E News' Thomas Frank AHEAD OF THE WEEKEND — DeSantis announced Friday that federal officials are allowing the state to take over work on some components of an Everglades reservoir construction to speed up its completion by five years. DeSantis said the agreement with the Department of the Army signed Friday would accelerate Everglades restoration and move up the EAA reservoir completion date from 2034 to 2029. 'This is a really, really big deal,' DeSantis said, adding, 'We have a great partner with the Trump administration and the Department of the Army.' — Bruce Ritchie FLORIDA'S 10TH EXECUTION — DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for convicted murderer KAYLE BARRINGTON BATES, who's set to become the 10th person to die by capital punishment in Florida this year, reports Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida. Bates is convicted of abducting and killing JANET WHITE in 1982. VAN LENT IMPRISONED — 'A longtime Everglades scientist was handcuffed in a Miami courtroom and taken to jail [last week] to begin serving a 10-day jail sentence in a case that divided the normally tightknit Florida environmental community,' reports Jenny Staletovich of WLRN. 'The sentence caps a three-year battle between hydrologist Tom Van Lent and his former bosses at the Everglades Foundation, who accused him of stealing trade secrets when he quit in 2022.' PENINSULA AND BEYOND — ''The nightmare is over': Venezuelans celebrate release of men held in El Salvador,' by Verónica Egui Brito of the Miami Herald. — 'West Palm Beach removing LGBTQ+ rainbow crosswalk under orders from Trump, DeSantis administrations,' by Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. CAMPAIGN MODE ABORTION RIGHTS FLASHPOINT — Democratic women who support abortion rights launched a defense over the weekend of Democratic gubernatorial candidate DAVID JOLLY after ANNA HOCHKAMMER, the executive director of Florida Women's Freedom Coalition, questioned his commitment and record on the issue in a Miami Herald op-ed. The women — including Fair Districts Florida leader ELLEN FREIDIN, former federal prosecutor JANE MOSCOWITZ, former Rep. and HHS Secretary DONNA SHALALA and retired President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida BARBARA ZDRAVECKY — signed onto a letter published in the Miami Herald on Sunday. They wrote: 'David Jolly told us: 'I voted for Amendment 4. As governor, I would work to enact Amendment 4 into law. I support Roe. I am pro-choice. And as your governor I would veto any legislation that would restrict reproductive healthcare in the state of Florida.'' WHAT DESANTIS IS READING — Former Gov. ANDREW CUOMO joked to business leaders at a Hamptons breakfast that he'll move to Florida if he loses the New York City mayor's race to ZOHRAN MAMDANI. The news caught the attention of DeSantis, who warned on X, 'Don't New York our Florida!' Cuomo is running in the mayoral race as an independent, after losing the Democratic nomination to Mamdani on July 1. TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP RESCHEDULED — Agriculture Secretary BROOKE ROLLINS is visiting a citrus grove in Felda and holding a press conference at 12:15 p.m. PAM-DEMONIUM — 'Trump has grown weary of defending Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Justice Department's Jeffery Epstein files and wants her to take responsibility for cleaning up the mess, according to four people familiar with White House deliberations,' report Garrett Haake, Matt Dixon, Kelly O'Donnell, Peter Nicholas and Jonathan Allen of NBC News. Key quote: 'I do think that he likes and respects Pam, but she has without question caused some headaches for them,' said one unnamed source. 'At the end of the day, at this point she is almost assuredly is just doing what she is told, so I believe she is very safe, but has had missteps.' DATELINE D.C. TPS EXTENDED FOR HAITIANS — 'Tens of thousands of Haitians living and working in the United States with temporary protections from deportation will now be allowed to remain until at least February 2026 with employment authorization, according to the Department of Homeland Security website,' reports Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald. 'The restoration of Haiti's Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, designation comes after a New York federal judge earlier this month blocked the Trump administration's efforts to shave six months off of the protections, which are usually for 18 months.' Rep. SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, the first Haitian-American Democrat in Congress, weighed in: 'Let's be clear: this is the enforcement of the law. Our communities should not have to rely on court orders to be treated with dignity. A stronger path forward begins at home, with permanent protections and immigration reform that centers humanity, not politics.' MORE DETENTION CENTERS LIKE ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ FORMING — ICE is pushing forward with creating more temporary tent detention centers across the US, per internal documents viewed by Michelle Hackman and Elizabeth Findell of The Wall Street Journal. The agency is using a new influx in cash that it got from Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' to reach 100,000 beds by the end of the year, an increase from the 40,000 that existed when Trump took office. — 'Clearwater man convicted of misdemeanor battery against Rep. Luna staffer,' reports Katelyn Ferral of the Tampa Bay Times. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN — 'Developer Donald Soffer, who founded Aventura, dies at 92,' reports The Real Deal. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Republican Party of Florida chair EVAN POWER and MELISSA POWER welcomed baby EVELYN ANN POWER over the weekend. BIRTHDAY: State Sen. Gayle Harrell.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Jan. 6 committee lawyer running for Congress in Trump district
Robin Peguero, who served as investigative counsel for the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, is launching a bid to unseat Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) in Florida. 'It's time for us to write a new story for South Florida — one where hard-working families stop being forced to choose between making rent or seeing a doctor, where small businesses have access to resources and tax relief, and where we no longer get squeezed by corporations and billionaires while politicians like María Elvira Salazar do their bidding,' Peguero said in a statement on Tuesday announcing his candidacy. 'Miami deserves a representative in the House who fights for them. That's the leader I'll be.' The seat is one of 35 held by House Republicans that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it plans to target in the 2026 midterms. Peguero was raised by a mother from Ecuador and a father from the Dominican Republic, and he has a background in law and politics. He spent time working for former Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and was also a former Miami-Dade County homicide prosecutor. He's currently a criminal law professor at St. Thomas University College of Law. Peguero is the latest Democrat to enter the race to take on the Florida Republican. Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey, accountant Alex Fornino and businessman Richard Lamondin have also launched bids to take on Salazar. The Florida Republican handily won her last election in November against Democrat Lucia Baez-Geller by more than 20 points. President Trump won the district last year by close to 15 points, according to The Downballot. The Hill has reached out to Salazar's campaign for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Former Jan. 6 committee lawyer running for Congress in Trump district
Robin Peguero, who served as investigative counsel for the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, is launching a bid to unseat Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) in Florida. 'It's time for us to write a new story for South Florida — one where hard-working families stop being forced to choose between making rent or seeing a doctor, where small businesses have access to resources and tax relief, and where we no longer get squeezed by corporations and billionaires while politicians like María Elvira Salazar do their bidding,' Peguero said in a statement on Tuesday announcing his candidacy. 'Miami deserves a representative in the House who fights for them. That's the leader I'll be.' Peguero was raised by a mother from Ecuador and a father from the Dominican Republic, and he has a background in law and politics. He spent time working for former Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and was also a former Miami-Dade homicide prosecutor. He's currently a professor at St. Thomas University College of Law teaching criminal law. Peguero is the latest Democrat to enter the race to take on the Florida Republican. Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey, accountant Alex Fornino and businessman Richard Lamondin have also launched bids on the Democratic side to take on Salazar. The Florida Republican handily won her last election in November against Democrat Lucia Baez-Geller by more than 20 points. President Trump won the district last year by close to 15 points, according to The Downballot.
NBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Former Jan. 6 committee lawyer launches Democratic bid for Congress in a Florida district Trump won
A former lawyer for the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot announced Tuesday that he is running for Congress in Florida as a Democrat, challenging Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar. Robin Peguero, 39, said in an interview ahead of his announcement that he is running because Salazar has not 'stood up' to President Donald Trump on issues like his deportation program and sweeping tax and spending cuts law. 'It's been six months into this administration, and Congresswoman Salazar has not stood up to the president in any meaningful way,' Peguero said. Peguero was a homicide prosecutor in Miami from 2014 until September 2021, when he took a job on the Jan. 6 committee as an investigative counsel. He continued in that position until the committee dissolved in 2021, after which he became chief of staff for Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., until January 2024. He has taught law in Miami since. Salazar has represented Florida's 27th Congressional District, which encompasses most of Miami and its southern suburbs, since 2021. The predominantly Hispanic district has shifted toward Republicans in recent years, as Trump won the district by 15 percentage points in 2024 after he carried it by less than half a percentage point in 2020. Peguero said his top priority is affordability, which he said includes issues like health care, grocery costs and gas prices. 'It is the number one role of government, is again, to make sure that everybody has the opportunity for the American dream,' he said. Peguero said he leaned on his experience as a prosecutor in Miami when he became investigative counsel for the Jan 6. committee. 'That was me wanting to take what I had learned as a prosecutor and present evidence of what was an awful mark in our country's history, the first non-peaceful transfer of power in our history, to uncover evidence to present to the American people so that they might decide what to do with it and how we might avoid it from ever happening again,' Peguero said. Some 30-plus miles outside of Salazar's district lies 'Alligator Alcatraz,' the new immigration detention center in the Everglades that Peguero said is a 'PR gimmick.' He said he supports deporting violent criminals, but criticized the Trump administration for deporting 'good, hard-working' people who have been in the U.S. for a long time. 'They didn't vote for mass deportations without due process. They voted for border security and for the deportation of violent criminals and a government that's smart enough to be able to tell the difference between who ought to be deported and who should not,' Peguero said. 'People are absolutely having regrets over their votes in the past, and the truth is we just got to move forward,' he said. Salazar's seat is one of 35 that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has announced as targets, as House Democrats aim to flip the chamber next year, though the expansive list includes some districts that are heavily Republican at this point. Peguero joins former Key Biscayne mayor and 2024 candidate Mike Davey, entrepreneur Richard Lamondin and accountant Alexander Fornino in the Democratic field.
