One of the most contentious primary races in South Florida will determine who will carry on the legacy of longtime Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson — a pioneer in the Black community and one of the state's most well-known politicians.
In a crowded Florida Congressional District 24 primary of seven Democrats, the two frontrunners to take Wilson's spot following her decision not to seek re-election are local leaders with experience in municipal government and the Florida Legislature. The winner is almost certain to win in the general election in November because the newly redrawn district heavily favors Democrats.
Shevrin Jones, the current frontrunner according to recent polling, is a Florida state senator who also served in the Florida House. Among his strongest opponents is former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, who also served as the second mayor of the City of Miami Gardens and is Wilson's own pick to carry her torch.
The six other Democrats in the race are:
— Attorney Kendrick Meek, Jr., whose grandmother, Carrie, and father, Kendrick Sr., served in Congress.
— Former Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Jean Monestime, the first Haitian-American to sit on the commission and to chair it.
—Dr. Rudolph Moise, a Haitian immigrant and physician, who has twice unsuccessfully run for the same seat.
— Community activist and minister Marshall Davis. Sr., managing director of the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Liberty City.
— Attorney Roderick Vereen.
Businesswoman and real estate developer Te Brown is running as a Republican in the general election in November after she was unopposed in the GOP primary.
The newly drawn district covering a large portion of northern Miami-Dade County and parts of south Broward County.
READ MORE: Frederica Wilson taps Oliver Gilbert to carry her torch in Florida's District 24
Campaign ads
Jones and Oliver have each made a point in campaign advertisements to argue how they're prepared to "fight Donald Trump" in Congress, but in interviews with WLRN the pair tempered the claim with a greater focus on individual issues.
" I won't say that my only objective is going to fight against Donald Trump, because me fighting against Donald Trump does not put food on the table for my district," Jones said. " But I also realize that we have a president of the United States who is trying to take our rights from us."
Gilbert said he disagrees with the President Trump on "virtually everything," but wants to reframe the conversation around policies.
"So Donald Trump is bad for our economy, he's bad for working families. Let's talk about those working families. Let's talk about they're making the same amount and everything is costing more," Gilbert told WLRN.
Attack ads from each other and other opponents in the race have called out Gilbert and Jones over donors associated with the Everglades immigrant detention center — dubbed Alligator Alcatraz — that contributed to them.
One ad from Jones accused Gilbert of receiving $70,000 from Alligator Alcatraz contractor CDR, an emergency management engineering firm. The Miami Herald reported in June that Alligator Alcatraz contractors donated large amounts to multiple county commissioners, including Gilbert.
"The money was received in connection with a county-wide initiative while I was chairman. No money that I received from CDR is actually used in this campaign. It can't be," Gilbert asserted.
Jones, who made visits to Alligator Alcatraz and spoke out against the conditions there for migrants, received $30,000 in campaign donations from CDR in 2020. Jones said he has not received any money from the contractor in his current campaign.
Jones has also received funding from GEO Group, a private prison contractor involved in the Everglades detention center and immigrant tracking. He said he moved the money to other Democratic candidates once learning about its origin.
Affordability
Recent survey data from the Pew Research Center proves the old adage about what's top of mind for voters going into the midterms: "It's the economy, stupid."
Voters most want candidates who address affordability issues according to the Pew Research Center, especially in South Florida where prices have surpassed those in historically expensive New York.
Gilbert said he intends to address affordability by strengthening the power of labor unions, which historically have advocated for things like minimum wage and the five-day workweek.
" I believe that one of the things that we need to do just to address cost of living is to get in there and re-strengthen organized labor and the rights to collective bargain across this country," Gilbert said.
He added that he supports raising the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour, and having Congress take control of tariffs following Trump's widespread use of them.
Jones also plans to take aim at tariffs by signing onto legislation that would refund American consumers for costs associated with tariffs.
" On day one, I will sign on to Congressman Henry Cuellar's bill, the American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act, which ensures that the unconstitutional tariffs that were imposed on Americans — that those dollars go right back into American people's pocket," Jones said.
American companies have been recently issued multibillion dollar refunds from the Trump administration for tariffs the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as illegal. The Congressional Budget Office estimates consumers paid approximately $231 billion in costs associated with tariffs, though individuals who bore trickle-down costs are not currently entitled to a refund.
Early voting runs through Sunday, Aug. 16. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 18. A list of voting sites and schedules can be found on the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections website.
