Former Jan. 6 Committee Lawyer Launches Democratic Bid For Congress In Florida

A erstwhile lawyer for nan House committee that investigated nan Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot announced Tuesday that he is moving for Congress successful Florida arsenic a Democrat, challenging Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar.

Robin Peguero, 39, said successful an question and reply up of his announcement that he is moving because Salazar has not “stood up” to President Donald Trump connected issues for illustration his deportation programme and sweeping taxation and spending cuts law.

Robin Peguero.Courtesy Robin Peguero

“It’s been six months into this administration, and Congresswoman Salazar has not stood up to nan president successful immoderate meaningful way,” Peguero said.

Peguero was a homicide charismatic successful Miami from 2014 until September 2021, erstwhile he took a occupation connected nan Jan. 6 committee arsenic an investigative counsel. He continued successful that position until nan committee dissolved successful 2021, aft which he became main of unit for Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., until January 2024. He has taught rule successful Miami since.

Salazar has represented Florida’s 27th Congressional District, which encompasses astir of Miami and its confederate suburbs, since 2021. The predominantly Hispanic territory has shifted toward Republicans successful caller years, arsenic Trump won nan territory by 15 percent points successful 2024 aft he carried it by little than half a percent constituent successful 2020.

Peguero said his apical privilege is affordability, which he said includes issues for illustration wellness care, market costs and state prices.

“It is nan number 1 domiciled of government, is again, to make judge that everybody has nan opportunity for nan American dream,” he said.

Peguero said he leaned connected his acquisition arsenic a charismatic successful Miami erstwhile he became investigative counsel for nan Jan 6. committee.

“That was maine wanting to return what I had learned arsenic a charismatic and coming grounds of what was an atrocious people successful our country’s history, nan first non-peaceful transportation of powerfulness successful our history, to uncover grounds to coming to nan American group truthful that they mightiness determine what to do pinch it and really we mightiness debar it from ever happening again,” Peguero said.

Some 30-plus miles extracurricular of Salazar’s territory lies “Alligator Alcatraz,” nan caller migration detention halfway successful nan Everglades that Peguero said is simply a “PR gimmick.” He said he supports deporting convulsive criminals, but criticized nan Trump management for deporting “good, hard-working” group who person been successful nan U.S. for a agelong time.

“They didn’t ballot for wide deportations without owed process. They voted for separator information and for nan deportation of convulsive criminals and a authorities that’s smart capable to beryllium capable to show nan quality betwixt who ought to beryllium deported and who should not,” Peguero said.

“People are perfectly having regrets complete their votes successful nan past, and nan truth is we conscionable sewage to move forward,” he said.

Salazar’s spot is 1 of 35 that nan Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has announced arsenic targets, arsenic House Democrats purpose to flip nan enclosure adjacent year, though nan expansive database includes immoderate districts that are heavy Republican astatine this point.

Peguero joins erstwhile Key Biscayne politician and 2024 campaigner Mike Davey, entrepreneur Richard Lamondin and accountant Alexander Fornino successful nan Democratic field.