María Elvira Salazar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids María Elvira Salazar
Official portrait, 2021
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Donna Shalala
Personal details
Born	(1961-11-01) November 1, 1961 (age 63) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Renzo Maietto ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2010)​ Lester Woerner ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2
Residences	Miami, Florida, U.S.
Education	Miami Dade College University of Miami (BA) Harvard University (MPA)
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María Elvira Salazar (born November 1, 1961) is an American politician, journalist, and author. Since 2021, she has served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 27th congressional district. The House of Representatives is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress, where laws are made for the country.

Salazar is a member of the Republican Party. Before she entered politics, she was a famous journalist. She worked for Spanish-language TV networks like Telemundo and Univision for over 30 years.

In 2018, Salazar first ran for Congress but lost to Donna Shalala. She ran again in 2020 and won in a rematch against Shalala. She was re-elected in 2022 and 2024.

Early Life and Schooling

María Elvira Salazar was born in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. Her parents were from Cuba and had moved to the United States. Because of her background, she grew up speaking both Spanish and English. She also lived in Puerto Rico for part of her childhood.

Salazar went to the Deerborne School in Coral Gables. After high school, she attended Miami Dade College. In 1983, she graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in communications. Later, in 1995, she earned a master's degree from the prestigious Harvard University.

Career as a Journalist

Salazar began her journalism career in 1983 as a TV reporter. She quickly moved to covering national politics for the Spanish International Network, which later became the major network Univision. By 1988, she was reporting from the White House and the Pentagon.

In the early 1990s, she covered the civil war in El Salvador for Univision. In 1993, she joined the Telemundo network. Two years later, she had a famous one-on-one interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro. She was the only U.S. Spanish-language TV journalist to do so.

Salazar hosted her own news shows where she would have people with different political views debate each other. She interviewed many famous world leaders, including:

• U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush
• Mexican Presidents Vicente Fox and Carlos Salinas de Gortari
• Colombian Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Juan Manuel Santos
• Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet

She also interviewed important figures like Mother Teresa. Salazar often appeared on news channels like Fox News to talk about topics such as immigration and government policies.

Serving in the U.S. Congress

Congresswoman Salazar introduces The FORCE Act against Cuba in January 2021.

As a representative, Salazar helps make laws that affect the entire country. She represents the people of her district in Florida.

Elections for Congress

2018 Election

In 2018, Salazar decided to run for Congress for the first time. Her district in Florida had often voted for Republicans, but was starting to support Democrats more. She won the Republican primary election but lost the main election to Democrat Donna Shalala.

2020 Election

Salazar did not give up. She ran against Shalala again in 2020. This time, she won the election and became one of 19 new Republican women to join the House of Representatives that year.

Important Votes and Actions

In her first term, Salazar had to miss the vote to certify the 2020 presidential election results because she had to quarantine for COVID-19. She later voted against the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.

In February 2021, she voted with Democrats and 10 other Republicans to remove Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committees. Salazar said she did this because Greene had made controversial comments. She also voted to create a special commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In September 2023, Salazar introduced a bill called the Crucial Communism Teaching Act. This bill, which passed the House in December 2024, aims to educate students about the history of communism.

Committee Work

For the 118th Congress, Salazar serves on several important committees:

• Committee on Foreign Affairs: This committee deals with the United States' relationships with other countries. She is the Chair of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, which focuses on North and South America.
• Committee on Small Business: This committee works on laws to help small businesses grow and succeed.

What are Salazar's Political Views?

A politician's views on different issues help voters decide if they want to elect them. Here are some of Salazar's positions.

Government and the Economy

Salazar believes in fighting against socialism. She has said that democratic socialism leads to "misery, oppression and exile." In 2021, she voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a large spending bill for COVID-19 relief.

Environment

Salazar has shown support for protecting the environment. She supported a proposal for a carbon tax, which is a tax on pollution that causes climate change. Many other Republicans did not support this idea.

Gun Policy

Salazar has said she is a "firm believer in the Second Amendment," which gives people the right to own guns. However, she also believes in finding ways to keep guns away from people who shouldn't have them. She has supported stronger background checks for buying guns and voted to raise the legal age to buy certain rifles from 18 to 21.

Immigration

Salazar has sponsored the Dignity Act, a bill that aims to reform the country's immigration system. She has also said she might be open to giving a path to citizenship for some immigrants who are in the country without permission.

Foreign Policy

Salazar is a strong supporter of Israel. She has been critical of the U.S. government's past efforts to have a friendlier relationship with Cuba. She introduced the FORCE Act, which would prevent the U.S. from improving relations with Cuba until it becomes a democracy.

Personal Life

Salazar lives in Miami. She has two daughters from her first marriage. In 2022, she married businessman Lester Woerner.

In 2010, she published a book titled Si Dios contigo, ¿quién contra ti?, which means "If God is with you, who can be against you?" in English.

See also

In Spanish: María Elvira Salazar para niños

• Hispanic and Latino conservatism in the United States
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives