In an early election night call, Democrat Donna Shalala flipped a Miami-Dade County seat held by a popular retiring Republican congresswoman.
NBC News and CBS News called the race for Shalala, a former Clinton cabinet member.
She beat Republican Maria Elvira Salazar in the race for a seat long held by retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R). The district, which covers Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Little Havana, overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, even as Ros-Lehtinen held on to her seat.
Shalala, 77, was seen for a time as a weaker-than-expected Democratic nominee against her 56-year-old opponent. The former Health and Human Services secretary and University Of Miami president had never run for elected office.