Candidates in place for SoFla congressional races

South Florida’s congressional contests were finalized May 4, and voters’ views of President Donald Trump could be a major factor in several critical contests.

Results in the region will help decide if Democrats take over the U.S. House or if it manages to stay under Republican control. The party in power often doesn’t do well in midterm elections — and Trump’s favorability rating is low.

That has Republicans nervous and Democrats excited about the prospects for U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo, R-Miami, and Brian Mast, R-Palm City.

Independent ratings from Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia and Inside Elections, all of which updated their assessments on May 4, list Curbelo’s district as a tossup or tilting Democratic. Mast’s district leans Republican.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, is retiring, and all the independent ratings list her district as leaning Democratic.

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, hasn’t had serious challenges in recent elections.

But Democrats persuaded one of their candidates who had been running to replace Ros-Lehtinen to switch and attempt to unseat Diaz-Balart instead, giving them a fourth potential pickup in South Florida. Diaz-Balart is still favored by independent analysts.

Residency

Some of the candidates don’t live in the districts they’re running to represent. Living outside the district is legal. The Constitution requires only that a member of Congress live in the state, and South Florida has had members of Congress from both parties who live near — but not in — the districts they are elected to represent.

One who stands out is Ricardo De La Fuente, of Venice, Calif., who is challenging U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson of Miami Gardens in the Democratic primary in the 24th Congressional District.

The Los Angeles Times reported that he was a candidate for Congress – in California – in a 2017 special election, and that he was the campaign director for the unsuccessful 2016 U.S. Senate and presidential candidates of his father Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente.

This year, the elder De La Fuente is running as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Florida and also will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate in California. Rocky De La Fuente recently told the Associated Press that he believes it’s legal to run in two states as long as he's living in the state before he's sworn into office

The Democratic and Republican primaries are Aug. 28. The primary winners face off in the Nov. 6 general election.

Incumbents are identified by an asterisk. No party affiliation candidates are marked NPA.

18th District

Northern Palm Beach,

Martin and St. Lucie counties

Democrats: Lauren Baer, Palm Beach Gardens; Pam Keith, Palm Beach Gardens.

Republicans: Dave Cummings, Fort Pierce; Mark Freeman, Stuart; Brian Mast, Palm City*.

20th District

Central Broward County, western Palm Beach County and a sliver of northern Palm Beach County

Democrats: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Miramar; Alcee L. Hastings, West Delray*.

21st District

Most of central, coastal and southwestern Palm Beach County Democrat: Lois Frankel, West Palm Beach *.

22nd District

Northern and coastal Broward, plus a sliver north of Interstate 595 and southeastern Palm Beach County

Democrats: Ted Deutch, West Boca *; Jeff Fandl, Coconut Creek. Republicans: Nicolas Kimaz, Boca Raton; Javier "Javi" Manjarres, Fort Lauderdale; Eddison Walters, Boca Raton.

23rd District

Most of southwestern and southeastern Broward, northeastern Miami-Dade County

Democrats: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Weston *.

Republicans: Joseph "Joe" Kaufman, Tamarac; Carlos J. Reyes, Davie; Carla Spalding, Plantation.

NPA: Timothy A. "Tim" Canova , Hollywood; Don Endriss, Dania Beach.

24th District

South central Broward, north central Miami-Dade County

Democrats: Ricardo De La Fuente, Venice, Calif.; Frederica S. Wilson, Miami Gardens *.

25th District

Northwest Miami-Dade, Collier and Hendry counties Democrat: Mary Barzee Flores, Coral Gables. Republican: Mario Diaz-Balart, Miami*.

26th District

Southern Miami-Dade and Monroe counties Republican: Carlos Curbelo, Miami *; Souraya Faas, Miami.

Democrats: Demetries Andrew Grimes, Miami; Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Miami.

27th District

Eastern Miami-Dade County

Democrats: Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, Miami Beach; Matt Haggman, Miami; Michael A. Hepburn, Miami; David Richardson, Miami Beach; Donna Shalala, Miami.

Republicans: Elizabeth Adadi, Miami; Bruno A. Barreiro, Miami; Angie Chirino, Miami Beach; Stephen Marks, Tamarac; Michael Ohevzion, Miami; Maria Peiro, Miami; Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera, Miami; Maria Elvira Salazar, Coral Gables; Gina Sosa, Coral Gables. NPA: Mayra Joli, Coral Gables.