Two weeks after Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) announced she will be seeking reelection in Florida’s new 20th Congressional District,
four Black Democratic candidates competing in the race are hoping to stop her from winning the nomination in a district that has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker.
Democrats were surprised by the senior Democrat’s move,
which followed Gov. Ron DeSantis signing legislation that redrew the state’s congressional maps in an effort to bolster Republicans’ chances to pick up seats in the 2026 midterms.
Wasserman Schultz’s current district was effectively eliminated.
In a four-hour meeting on Monday in Pompano Beach, the four candidates
— former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick and activist Elijah Manley
— voted 3-1 to consolidate behind one candidate to defeat Wasserman Schultz.
“It was a long conversation,” Manley
— who declined to say who voted against consolidating
— told NOTUS. “We had to get real, egos had to be put aside.”
“We had to be honest with ourselves, you know, maybe the math is not mathing with all of us in the race,” Manley added.
He told NOTUS that the candidates cross-examined each other during the meeting, with each having to explain what their strengths and weaknesses were.
The candidates did not decide who they would back in the Aug. 18 primary,
but Holness said he expects candidates to make a decision by “no later than Wednesday morning”
because some candidates are considering filing for different congressional races
or potentially for statewide offices,
and they might need a few days “to get our paperwork to Tallahassee to finalize what we’re doing.”
He did not name which candidates are considering those options
https://www.notus.org/congress/black-democrats-florida-redistricting-debbie-wasserman-schultz-black-caucus-jeffries
four Black Democratic candidates competing in the race are hoping to stop her from winning the nomination in a district that has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker.
Democrats were surprised by the senior Democrat’s move,
which followed Gov. Ron DeSantis signing legislation that redrew the state’s congressional maps in an effort to bolster Republicans’ chances to pick up seats in the 2026 midterms.
Wasserman Schultz’s current district was effectively eliminated.
In a four-hour meeting on Monday in Pompano Beach, the four candidates
— former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick and activist Elijah Manley
— voted 3-1 to consolidate behind one candidate to defeat Wasserman Schultz.
“It was a long conversation,” Manley
— who declined to say who voted against consolidating
— told NOTUS. “We had to get real, egos had to be put aside.”
“We had to be honest with ourselves, you know, maybe the math is not mathing with all of us in the race,” Manley added.
He told NOTUS that the candidates cross-examined each other during the meeting, with each having to explain what their strengths and weaknesses were.
The candidates did not decide who they would back in the Aug. 18 primary,
but Holness said he expects candidates to make a decision by “no later than Wednesday morning”
because some candidates are considering filing for different congressional races
or potentially for statewide offices,
and they might need a few days “to get our paperwork to Tallahassee to finalize what we’re doing.”
He did not name which candidates are considering those options
https://www.notus.org/congress/black-democrats-florida-redistricting-debbie-wasserman-schultz-black-caucus-jeffries