Who’s running for Florida’s CD 20? Inside the contentious Democratic primary

A former incumbent federally indicted for stealing disaster money. The former frontman of a 1980s Miami hip hop group. A longtime U.S. House member accused of “carpetbagging” in a Black district. A mayor. A teacher.

These are the Democratic candidates for Florida’s 20th Congressional District, a liberal redoubt made bluer after mid-decade redistricting called for by President Trump and answered by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature. Florida’s new lines could create four GOP seats in addition to the 20 out of 28 they already control.

That push set off a cascade in CD 20’s Democratic primary, including allegations that a long-time Democrat is taking advantage of Black voters and the swift reappearance of CD 20’s incumbent, who resigned earlier this year ahead of a congressional hearing to decide her punishment for allegedly stealing disaster money.

After redistricting, CD 20 is located entirely within Broward County. It’s traditionally been a primarily Black district, and was the main area DeSantis pointed to when he insisted certain Florida districts had been improperly drawn to favor race. 

Here are the candidates:

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

A three-term U.S. House member, the 47-year-old represented CD 20 between Jan. 2022 and April 2026, when she announced her resignation just four minutes before a hearing in front of the House Ethics Committee.

The panel was going to decide whether to warn, suspend, or expel Cherfilus-McCormick amid allegations she had stolen disaster relief money. The Department of Justice in November criminally indicted her for allegedly laundering $5 million in COVID dollars into her campaign account.

Cherfilus-McCormick denies wrongdoing. 

As of June 30, she had raised roughly $382,000 and spent $376,000, leaving her with $2,550 in cash on hand. She was the first Haitian-American Democrat elected to Congress.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a 21-year congressional veteran and leading Florida Democrat, had a choice after May redistricting shoved her district, CD 25, to the political right: Run in her district, now leaning Republican, or migrate to the neighboring CD 20 — a Democratic stronghold traditionally represented by a Black official.

Wasserman Schultz, who is white and a long-time advocate for the Jewish community, chose the second option — immediately drawing the ire of her four Black same-party rivals. 

“She is no different than the Republicans that are eviscerating Black representation across the South,” progressive teacher Elijah Manley told Politico in May. “She is everything that’s wrong with the broken unpopular Democratic establishment. … I look forward to retiring her from public office permanently.”

Wasserman Schultz did not respond to a request for comment from the Florida Phoenix.

Wasserman Schultz, for her part,  has pointed to her record of continually “going to bat” for minority communities.

She’s raised $3.1 million and spent $1.4 million so far, leaving her with $2.8 million in cash on hand. 

Luther Campbell

Also known as “Uncle Luke,” he is a former rapper with the Miami hip-hop group 2LiveCrew. Now a football coach and community activist, Campbell launched his campaign in February.

He had toyed with a run against Cherfilus-McCormick in 2024, as she first battled fraud allegations, and previously ran for mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2011 — finishing in fourth place.

Campbell attempted to dissuade Wasserman Schultz from entering the race in May, insisting her victory path would intentionally split the Black vote.

“If her strategy is to come in because there are multiple Black candidates and hope we ‘split the vote’ … that’s the same old playbook — divide and conquer,” he said.

Campbell has raised $148,000 and spent $66,000, and has $82,000 left in cash on hand.

Dale Holness

The CD 20 race also serves as something of a rematch between former Broward County mayor Dale Holness, 69, and Cherfilus-McCormick. 

In 2021, Holness, who also has served on the Lauderhill City Commission, lost by just five votes to Cherfilus-McCormick in the Democratic primary for the seat. 

During an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board, Holness joined the chorus of candidates bashing Wasserman Schultz, claiming her entry into the race is a “slap in the face.” 

Holness has raised $380,000, spent $69,000, and has $330,000 left in cash on hand.

Elijah Manley

The most progressive of the group, 27-year-old teacher Elijah Manley has made one of the larger splashes so far in the race — both by attacking Wasserman Schultz for running in the Black district and by alleging that Holness made antisemitic remarks toward Wasserman Schultz.

Holness denied this.

Manley, who battled homelessness as a child in Broward County, first ran for school board at 19 in 2018 and placed third in a three way race. He ran an unsuccessful race for Florida House seat in 2022, losing to incumbent Rep. Daryl Campbell.

He’s raised $955,000 and spent $919,000, and has $36,000 left in cash on hand.