Yet another candidate has entered the race for U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's seat.
Raquel Regalado, a former Miami-Dade County School Board member, announced her candidacy for U.S. District 27 in a video posted on her Facebook page.
In the video, Republican Regalado says her top issue is affordability in South Florida—better-paying jobs and reasonably priced housing.
“I’m running for Congress because we cannot afford to live in South Florida,” she said, adding that she’ll be able to put partisan rhetoric aside in addressing those issues.
Regalado is the daughter of long-time Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado. Last year, she made a failed bid to unseat Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, earning 44 percent of the vote to Gimenez’s 56 percent.
“This was always David versus Goliath; we always knew that,” said Regalado in her concession speech, and if she’s David in the race for the District 27 seat, Goliath is the increasingly crowded field of candidates.
Three Republicans have officially filed with the state or the Federal Elections Commission: Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, teacher Maria Peiro and now Regalado.
Democrats include businessman Scott Fuhrman, Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, University of Miami academic advisor Michael Hepburn, Christopher Austin Miller, Frank Perez, Anthony Person, state Rep. David Richardson and state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez.
After serving 25 years in Congress, Ros-Lehtinen announced earlier this year that she would not be running for reelection next year. Her decision to leave that seat has opened the door to what is expected to be a heated primary and general election.
