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Wasserman Schultz Enters Democratic Primary in Heavily Black Florida District

Florida DNC members say the move threatens Black representation in one of the state’s few majority-Black districts.

Overview

  • Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has formally filed to run in Florida’s newly redrawn 20th Congressional District, a seat that now contains large parts of central Broward County.
  • Ten members of the Florida Democratic National Committee and multiple Black community leaders publicly condemned the decision, arguing a white incumbent should not treat the district as a safer opportunity.
  • District 20 is reported to be over 40 percent Black and has historically been held by Black lawmakers, which critics say makes representation by a candidate with lived experience a central concern.
  • The Democratic primary is crowded with multiple contenders, including former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Elijah Manley, and Luther Campbell, which party officials say could fracture local unity.
  • The dispute follows a recent Supreme Court narrowing of race-based redistricting rules and Florida’s April map redraw that made other Democratic seats less secure, and the new map already faces legal challenges.