Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Weston) has announced she will run for reelection in Florida’s 20th congressional district.
“I’ve fought for the people of Broward County my whole adult life, and you’ve always been able to count on me to deliver results for our community,” said Wasserman Schultz in a video announcing her run.
The change is spurred on by Governor Ron DeSantis’s redistricting effort. Wasserman Schultz’s current district, Florida's 25th, which had included most of southern Broward, was drawn to include coastal communities from Delray Beach to Miami Beach. Florida’s 20th district includes most of central Broward north of I-595.
The announcement will be met with some controversy. Florida’s 20th district is Broward’s bluest — the winner of the Aug. 18 primary is all but assured to win the general election. However, the majority-Black district's seat has been held by a Black representative since the late Alcee Hastings first won his seat in 1993.
Because of that the seat is viewed as a stronghold of Black representation in congress. To that end, the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus had asked white Democratic representatives — explicitly naming Wasserman Schultz — not to run for re-election in the 20th congressional district.
At a caucus meeting held earlier this week, Wasserman Schultz’s primary opponents sounded off about her stepping into the race.
READ MORE: FL-20 candidates make their case, slam Wasserman Schultz at Broward Black Democratic Caucus meeting
“It takes the people to stand up to the oppressor. And [Wasserman Schultz] is the oppressor. She's no different than anything that they're doing in Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama. She's no different at the end of the day,” said businessman Luther Campbell.
“ The Black community have been the most loyal to the Democratic Party. In fact, we vote 90-plus percent every election as Democrats. We're the most loyal. And to not see the importance of our vote and our voice is really sad, and it makes a lot of people angry too, and rightly so,” said former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness.
Multiple members of the audience at that meeting asked if the candidates would consider dropping out to consolidate the Black vote. They expressed concerns that if Wasserman Schultz were to enter, she would easily defeat the fractured Black field. None of the candidates who answered seemed interested in stepping aside.
“This fight between Democrats is something that the Republicans have set up to do. They set this up perfectly. This fight between communities is something they set up to do. For us to get past this moment, we have to demand that our representatives dig in their heels and fight,” said former congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus McCormick, who resigned in a cloud of controversy in April.
Wasserman Schultz is the most senior Democratic representative in South Florida, having been first elected in 2004. She serves on a number of influential committees including a senior and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee and a co-chair of the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee.
“I’ll use all my seniority and influence in Washington to continue to make our lives more affordable, and make Broward a safer, less expensive place to live, raise a family and retire. This District deserves a representative who won’t be learning on the job and has a proven record of results,” she said.
