MIAMI — Florida’s Congressional District 20 has faced political headwinds in the middle of a key election year after a mid-year redistricting process that changed the demographics of the historically Black congressional district.

The race has also garnered national attention as sitting Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced her candidacy for the District 20 seat rather than running in her newly redrawn District 25 that now leans Republican.

The decision sparked frustration from Black candidates who called for her to drop out of the race. Residents have 10 challengers to choose from – including rapper and activist Luther Campbell and former Broward County mayor Dale Holness – making their decision even more complicated.

Here is what residents need to know about the District 20 race:

The district’s history

In 1992, Florida elected its first three Black congressional representatives since Reconstruction. The move came after Black Democrats aligned with white Republican legislators to convince a federal court to create three congressional districts to concentrate Black voting power, allowing for the state’s first Black members of Congress since 1876.

A 1992 redrawn map resulted in three Black Democrats being elected to Congress at that time: Corrine Brown in Jacksonville, Alcee Hastings in Broward County and Carrie Meek in Miami-Dade County, giving those communities minority representation at the federal level for the first time in history.

Hastings, a former federal judge, served District 20 until his death in 2021. Former Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to the seat in 2022 during a special election to replace him, becoming the first Haitian-American Democrat to be elected to Congress. She resigned from her role in April amid two dozen charges of misconduct related to misuse of COVID funds. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges. Her resignation came just ahead of a scheduled Ethics Committee hearing and vote on what sanctions she should face.

Why the race is significant

The race comes months after the Florida legislature voted to redraw congressional lines in District 20, a historically Black district. With the newly redrawn maps, many Black voters in parts of Palm Beach County, such as Pahokee, Belle Glade and parts of Riviera Beach were drawn out of District 20 and into white majority, Republican-leaning districts.

The race also marks a shift at a politically divisive time for Black constituents: statewide and nationally, anti-diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have diminished, and the Voting Rights Act was curtailed when the Supreme Court ruled that considering race in drawing congressional maps can qualify as racial gerrymandering – even if it’s done to avoid racially discriminatory maps that diminish Black voters’ power.

The district is home to 818,131 residents, about 49% Black, according to the 2024 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census.

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose District 25 was completely redrawn to favor a Republican candidate, is vying for a seat in the historically Black district. Several candidates in the race had called for Wasserman Schultz to not run saying she did not have the “lived experience” of those from the district, and to instead run in the district in which she lives.

Four Black candidates – Luther Campbell, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dale Holness and Elijah Manley – considered coalescing behind one candidate who could defeat Wasserman Schultz in the primary, but ultimately decided against it.

Who are the candidates:

Ten candidates are vying for District 20:

Brent Andersen, businessman

Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, rapper and activist

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, former Congresswoman in District 20

Dale Holness, former Broward County mayor and business owner

Lateresa “LA” Jones, business owner

Rod Joseph, Army veteran

Elijah Manley, community organizer and substitute teacher

Kedner Maxime, Independent candidate

Carla Spalding, Navy veteran

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Congresswoman in District 25

When is the primary:

The primary is Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Early voting in Broward County and Palm Beach County begins Aug. 8.

Residents can check their voter registration status at https://registration.dos.fl.gov/en/CheckVoterStatus/Index.

Broward County residents can find election information at https://browardvotes.gov/.

Voters in Palm Beach County can find more information about elections at https://www.votepalmbeach.gov/.

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