Wasserman Schultz to run in former Black-majority district targeted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Claire Heddles, Miami Herald on May 22, 2026

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MIAMI — Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced Friday she’ll be running in Florida’s Democratic 20th Congressional District, a safe blue seat that was historically drawn to ensure Black voters could elect a candidate of their choice.

“We cannot let Trump destroy Broward County’s power,” she said in a campaign announcement video peppered with endorsements from local leaders in Plantation, Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs.

“I’ll use all my seniority and clout in Washington to continue to make our lives more affordable,” she said.

Her decision comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis redrew Florida’s congressional maps in a way that bolsters Republicans chances of keeping the House in the midterms, and reversed previous interpretations of the federal Voting Rights Act.

The 20th District was one of three Florida districts drawn by a federal court in 1992 under the Voting Rights Act as a remedy to racial discrimination, and led to state’s first Black members of Congress since Reconstruction.

Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick held the seat until she resigned last month amid a misconduct allegation. She is also running for re-election in the district.

Florida’s new voting map split Wasserman Schultz’ former district five ways, leaving her with complicated options on where to run. Only a small share of her former voters live in the newly drawn 20th District.

The other congressional districts she could have run in would have pitted her against colleagues like Rep. Jared Moskowitz in a Democratic primary, or placed her in a difficult general election in a district redrawn to favor Republicans.

Black Democratic leaders who urged her against running in the 20th District said that she was the only candidate with the funds to mount a serious bid in one of the newly Republican-favoring seats. She has more than $2.5 million in her campaign accounts, according to Federal Election Commissioner records.

Instead, she’s now running a district that is all but guaranteed to be held by a Democrat.

The National Republican Campaign Committee was quick to celebrate the announcement, with its deputy executive director Jack Pandol noting on social media that her decision leaves Florida’s neighboring 22nd District “ripe for a GOP pickup.”