It鈥檚 a Tuesday night in Coconut Grove. Business owner and political newcomer Richard Lamondin is standing before nearly 50 people gathered at St. James Baptist Church. He鈥檚 trying to sell them on electing him to Congress.
He鈥檚 a long shot, to be sure.
The Miami native and is running for the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep Mar铆a Elvira Salazar. Democrats identify her as a in the November 2026 midterm election.
The says it鈥檚 a 鈥渟olid Republican鈥� seat, meaning it鈥檚 not competitive.
Lamondin must first win the August 2026 Democratic primary. He faces two other challengers, and . Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey recently dropped out of the race.
On this night, Lamondin tells the crowd he is 鈥渟eeking to change the Democratic party鈥� by showing a model of how we win here.鈥�
READ MORE: Former Jan. 6 committee lawyer enters race to challenge Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar
The 27th congressional district includes parts of the cities of Miami, Coral Gables and parts of west Miami.
Lamondin outlined his plan in both English and Spanish for roughly an hour in a campaign-billed town hall that included signs asking, 鈥淲here鈥檚 Salazar?鈥� and 鈥溌緿onde Esta Salazar?鈥�
He's branding himself as a political outsider and says he's going into 鈥渟paces that Democrats don鈥檛 go鈥� in the congressional district to deliver his message.
鈥淚 think the fact that I have built a business in Miami, that I have lived the Miami success story, that I鈥檓 raising my family here鈥� is something that a lot of voters will respond to,鈥� Lamondin told SA国际传谋. 鈥淎nd the fact that I鈥檓 here to find practical solutions to our many problems.鈥�
A key campaign topic for Lamondin is his push to further support vocational jobs, which he says are 鈥渁n important pathway to [the] middle-class鈥� that also address Miami鈥檚 vulnerabilities.
鈥淲e sit on the front lines of a lot of this country鈥檚 challenges,鈥� Lamondin said. 鈥淵ou talk about hurricane resilience. The only way you鈥檙e gonna fix your house after a hurricane is with a roofer, electrician, a plumber. These are the types of jobs that also are not under threat by artificial intelligence.鈥�
No matter his campaign message, Lamondin 鈥� like any Democrat 鈥� faces an uphill challenge to unseat a popular incumbent in Salazar in a district where registered Republican voters outnumber Democratic voters by roughly 30,000.
In 2024, Salazar against former Miami-Dade school board member Lucia Baez-Geller. Salazar was first elected as a newcomer herself in 2020, defeating incumbent Democrat Donna Shalala.
Her election win coincided with President Donald Trump's victory in Miami-Dade County. Trump was the first Republican to win the heavily Hispanic county since 1988.
When asked about his strategy to claw back gains made by the GOP with Hispanics in Miami-Dade , Lamondin said, 鈥渨e are speaking to people no matter where they鈥檙e at 鈥� focusing on what unites us no matter what language you speak, which is the fact that this city is not working for us 鈥� it is too expensive, our schools are not being invested in and right now families are struggling.鈥�
Lamondin said he's already building a ground game by visiting areas like Westchester and west Coconut Grove, and is planning to hold events in Cutler Bay, Goulds and Richmond Heights.
He has according to the most recent Federal Election Commission Data.
Salazar has raised between her campaign and the Salazar for Congress Committee. She also reported having almost $1.7 million cash on hand.
Clarice Cooper, a registered Democrat who attended Tuesday night's event, says she was happy Lamondin chose to hold the event in west Coconut Grove.
鈥淸Salazar] is scared of a lot of those issues," Cooper said. 鈥淓specially like in this community, which is largely African American. That is evolving of course, but she hasn鈥檛 done very much in this community.鈥�
Learn more about Democratic candidate Richard Lamondin鈥檚 campaign .
Learn more about incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar's campaign .
