Name & Occupation: María Elvira Salazar; Journalist, mother, and congresswoman representing Florida’s 27th District.
Previous Jobs Held: Five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, serving the Spanish-speaking audience of the United States and Latin America on Telemundo, Univision, AmericaTevé, MegaTV, and CNN en Español.
How has your career in journalism shaped your service on Capitol Hill? My constituents include many of the people I served in my 35 years as a member of the Spanish-language press. As a congresswoman, I approach my work the same way I did as a journalist: What are both sides of the story? What am I not seeing that I need to take into consideration? When I vote on the issues directly affecting my constituents, I make sure to understand the issues as fully as possible to make the most informed decision. This emphasis on attention to detail and nuance is what was required of me as a journalist, and this is what I believe makes a good public servant.
Looking back on your time as a journalist, what was the toughest interview you ever conducted? The toughest interview I have ever given was the one I did with Fidel Castro. Thirty years ago, interviewing one of Latin America’s most brutal dictators and the architect of the misery that caused millions of Cubans to live in exile, was impossible. As a Cuban-American, I felt it was my duty to ask Castro the hard questions. The legacy of pain and suffering that the dictator left behind had to be answered for, and the opportunity to get some of those answers had to be taken. His answers, while unsatisfactory, were important to showcase to the world: His ideas are destructive, and my viewers got to see them from the mouth of the dictator himself.
If you could have Congress solve one problem affecting Florida, what would it be? Congress must come together to solve the cost-of-living crisis that my constituents face in South Florida. Inflation must be put to an end. Housing policy must be updated to meet the needs of our rapidly growing real estate market. We need an immigration policy that meets the needs of our labor and agricultural markets, both of which are suffering from severe shortages and raising prices on American families. I have introduced legislation that would address all these concerns – now I need Congress to exert the political will to solve them!
Finally, what advice do you have for young people who would like to start a career in public life today? There is a time for everything. The first time I ran in 2018, I have to admit, I didn’t fully understand the commitment required of someone to run for Congress. Learning that lesson was valuable, because it taught me to be sharper, strategize better, and listen more. You are not always going to make it on the first try, or maybe even the second or third. Don’t let that discourage you: Remember, it’s through trial by fire that the most radiant of gold is made. If you truly believe in the mission of advancing the common good of your community as a public servant, make your case to your people. If you believe in yourself and work hard enough for it, they will believe in you too.
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The Ripon Forum is published six times a year by The Ripon Society, a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.
