Veteran South Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz officially entered the race for Florida’s 20th Congressional District on Friday, launching a campaign to succeed former Haitian-American representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
Wasserman Schultz announced her candidacy in a campaign video highlighting her long political career, personal resilience and ties to Broward County.
“I’ve fought for the people of Broward County my whole adult life,” Wasserman Schultz said in the video. “You’ve always been able to count on me to deliver results for our community.”
Her entry into the race follows a recent redistricting effort that reshaped South Florida’s congressional map, making her current district more competitive and prompting her move into the heavily Democratic 20th District. Political observers expect the Aug. 18 Democratic primary to effectively determine the next representative for the seat.
The congressional seat became open following Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation in April amid ongoing legal and ethics controversies. Despite stepping down, Cherfilus-McCormick has since launched a campaign seeking to reclaim the seat.
The Democratic primary field has already drawn several prominent candidates, including former Broward County mayor Dale Holness, activist Elijah Manley, physician Rudolph Moise and entertainer Luther Campbell.
In her campaign video, Wasserman Schultz emphasized both her legislative experience and personal story, referencing her battle with cancer, family life and tenure as former chair of the Democratic National Committee.
“I waged these battles when our values were on the line, all while raising a family, beating cancer, and answering President Obama’s call to lead our party,” she said.
The longtime congresswoman also framed the election as a fight against Republican influence in Broward County and criticized President Donald Trump and the Republican Party over affordability issues.
“Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for reelection in Congressional District 20 because we cannot let President Trump destroy Broward County’s power,” she said in the video. “Republicans couldn’t care less about lowering your health care, gas or grocery bills.”
Wasserman Schultz pledged to use her seniority in Congress to benefit constituents, pointing to her role as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
“I’ll use all my seniority and influence in Washington to continue to make our lives more affordable, and make Broward a safer, less expensive place to live, raise a family and retire,” she said. “This District deserves a representative who won’t be learning on the job and has a proven record of results.”
Wasserman Schultz, first elected to Congress in 2004, is currently the most senior Democratic representative in South Florida.
