Representative Donna E. Shalala, a Democrat who served as President Bill Clintons health secretary, narrowly lost her Florida seat to the Republican candidate, Maria Elvira Salazar, on Tuesday, becoming one of the more notable Democratic casualties in the House.
In a rematch of their 2018 House race, Ms. Salazar, a former television journalist, will represent Floridas 27th Congressional District, which includes Miami and surrounding communities in Miami-Dade County.
The loss came as Democrats struggled with South Floridas large Hispanic population, a group seen as pivotal to the fortunes of President Trump and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in their quest for the state of Florida and its 29 Electoral College votes. Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Democrat in a nearby district, was also defeated, and Mr. Biden was falling short of Hillary Clintons margins in Miami-Dade in 2016.
Two years ago, Ms. Shalala, 79, had defeated Ms. Salazar by six percentage points to fill the open seat of Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who had served in the House for 30 years.read more
Donna Shalala, Clinton Cabinet Member, Is Upset in House Re-election Bid
