Overview
- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is contesting the Democratic nomination in the newly drawn 20th Congressional District and is the only white candidate among four prominent Black challengers as voters prepare for Tuesday's primary.
- Challengers including Elijah Manley, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, and Dale Holness have accused her of 'carpetbagging' and said her entry risks erasing a seat long held by Black representatives.
- Wasserman Schultz enters the race as the best-funded contender and gains a clear tactical edge from Florida’s plurality primary rule, which allows a candidate to win the nomination without a majority when the field is split.
- The contest follows Republican-led redistricting prompted by President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis that compressed southeast Florida Democrats and produced a 20th District that is roughly 42% Black, 23% Hispanic, and 4% Asian.
- Civil-rights groups and the Congressional Black Caucus warn the new map could cost Black House members this fall, so the primary outcome may shape whether local communities are represented by descriptive identity or by incumbency and committee clout.