Salazar faced recurring attacks linking her to the Castro regime, which she dismissed but which underscored concerns among anti-communist constituents (El Nuevo Herald, 8/28/18).
Opponents criticized her for prioritizing "political theater" over real solutions, portraying her as ineffective in addressing serious national issues (Islander News, 2/26/24).
She has been accused of catering to far-right factions rather than representing the interests of everyday families (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 7/31/23).
Continued criticism from former opponent Donna Shalala and her political committee focused on holding Salazar "accountable," suggesting questions about her performance and trustworthiness (Miami Herald, 1/29/21; El Nuevo Herald, 1/29/21).
Salazar's rhetoric on socialism and the Democratic Party's leftward shift may isolate moderate voters and attract controversy, especially within Miami's diverse electorate (Miami Herald, 10/22/20; El Nuevo Herald, 8/1/19).
February 2018: Salazar Cited Overwhelming Voter Support On Social Media According to El Nuevo Herald, 'El 90 por ciento de los comentarios que recibí a través de las redes sociales durante este mes que estuve indagando entre los votantes y los televidentes fue un apoyo abrumador a favor de que yo tomara esta decisión', dijo Salazar. [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 3/1/18]
2018: Salazar's Professionalism And Mediating Skills Were Recognized By Supporters According to El Nuevo Herald, 'En la página de Facebook de Salazar se leen comentarios que le daban ánimo para que se postulara, que resaltaban su profesionalismo y sus cualidades como ″mediadora″.' [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 3/1/18]
August 2018: Salazar Dismissed Accusations Of Supporting Castro Regime According to El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), "En los últimos días de la campaña, Barreiro se unió a otros candidatos republicanos para atacar a Salazar y acusarla de 'glorificar la revolución de los tiranos hermanos Castros' durante una entrevista con el fallecido Fidel Castro. Salazar ha desestimado esas acusaciones." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 8/28/18]
2021: Shalala Criticized María Elvira Salazar Through Political Committee According to Miami Herald, "Following Salazar's victory, Shalala has continued to criticize the freshman representative through the political committee Donna Democrats. A fundraising email sent Friday by the committee asked for donors to give $46 to help 'hold Salazar accountable.'" [Miami Herald, 1/29/21]
2021: Salazar Was Criticized By Shalala Through 'Donna Democrats' Committee According to El Nuevo Herald, "Después de la victoria de Salazar, Shalala la ha seguido criticando a través del comité político que formó en 2018, Donna Democrats. Un correo electrónico de recaudación de fondos enviado el viernes por el comité pidió a los donantes que entregaran $46 para ayudar a 'hacer que Salazar rinda cuentas'." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 1/29/21]
2023: DCCC Criticized María Elvira Salazar For Catering To The Far-Right According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "In an email, Justin Chermol, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, argued that Luna and Salazar were 'more focused on catering to the far-right than delivering real results for everyday families.'" [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 7/31/23]
2024: Davey Criticized Incumbent Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar For 'Political Theater' According to Islander News, Mike Davey referred to current Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, stating, 'This country is facing serious problems, and we need serious people in Washington to resolve them, not someone who is engaged in political theater,' he said, referring to current Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar. '(She) is at the center of the problem.' [Islander News: Web Edition Articles (Key Biscayne, Florida), 2/26/24]
2020: Salazar Publicly Criticized Shalala And Pledged To Donate Salary According to El Nuevo Herald, "En el anuncio, que salió por televisión, Salazar dijo: 'Los políticos no debían enriquecerse como ha hecho Donna Shalala. Por eso, María Elvira Salazar donará todo su salario'. Salazar también repitió el compromiso de que donaría su salario en un sinfín de entrevistas a lo largo de la campaña." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 2/1/21]
2020: Salazar Called Politicians Ineffective And Promised Action According to El Nuevo Herald, "'El truco de los políticos es hablar mucho y no hacer nada', dijo." [El Nuevo Herald, 10/21/20]
September 2018: María Salazar Emphasized Her Connection To Miami's Hispanic-Majority Community According to Miami Herald, "Salazar, a Cuban American whose parents fled Cuba's dictatorship, labeled Shalala an outsider who won't be able to connect with the Hispanic-majority community. 'She's not part of the melting pot,' she said. '[Candidates] have to be able to connect with all of you.'" [Miami Herald, 9/26/18]
August 2019: Salazar Criticized Donna Shalala's Stance On Socialism And Antisemitism According to El Nuevo Herald, "la representante demócrata forma parte de un partido que se inclina cada vez más a la izquierda, y que le ha fallado a los votantes del Distrito 27 al no condenar el socialismo y el antisemitismo. 'Shalala no ha levantado la voz para decir que el socialismo es un fraude, una estafa.'" [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 8/1/19]
2020: Maria Elvira Salazar Asserted Democratic Party Had Moved Left On Socialism According to Miami Herald, '"Between '18 and '20, the political forces have changed," Salazar said." One of the issues is specifically socialism. Between '18 and '20, the Democratic Party has changed. Radical forces have been able to control the mind and soul of the party. Socialism is misery, oppression and exile. Democratic socialism is a lie."' [Miami Herald, 10/22/20]
2018: María Elvira Salazar Was 56 Years Old During The District 27 Campaign, According To El Nuevo Herald According to El Nuevo Herald, "La contienda entre Shalala, de 77 años, y la Salazar, de 56, se medirá en las urnas en las elecciones generales del 6 de noviembre." [El Nuevo Herald, 10/16/18]