Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) declared Friday she will seek reelection in a newly drawn congressional district, the latest shake-up from a Republican redistricting effort championed by Governor Ron DeSantis that has scrambled Florida's political map.
Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, currently represents the 25th District, which was eliminated under the GOP's new map. She will now run in the 20th District, a deep-blue seat that covers parts of Broward County. “Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Florida’s 20th congressional district,” she said in a statement. “I’ll continue to use my seniority in Washington to make Broward a safer, less expensive place to live, raise a family, and retire. We cannot let Trump and DeSantis take away Broward County’s power.”
The move immediately sets up a high-stakes Democratic primary. The 20th District was previously held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned last month amid financial misconduct allegations that were on the verge of triggering an expulsion vote. Cherfilus-McCormick has already announced she will run for the reconfigured seat, creating a direct clash with Wasserman Schultz in the August 18 primary.
The district has a plurality Black electorate and has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker. Several other Black candidates are also entering the race, and Wasserman Schultz’s candidacy has drawn criticism from some Black political leaders. The Cook Political Report rates the seat as solidly Democratic but notes that Cherfilus-McCormick’s exit “has created an opening” for Wasserman Schultz, though it could be a tough fight.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the 20th District by double digits in 2024, even as Donald Trump won Florida for the third consecutive time. The district remains a Democratic stronghold, but the primary is expected to be competitive.
Republicans, meanwhile, are framing Wasserman Schultz’s move as a retreat. Maureen O’Toole, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, accused the congresswoman of “abandoning her home district because she knew she was headed for defeat” in a district Trump won by double digits. She called the seat “a prime pickup opportunity” for the GOP, though the district’s Democratic lean makes a general election flip unlikely.
The redistricting battle in Florida has been especially contentious. Republicans advanced a map that created four new GOP pickup opportunities, partly by dismantling Wasserman Schultz’s old seat. The GOP is expected to expand its advantage in Florida’s House delegation to as high as 24-4 this fall.
This kind of gerrymandering has drawn national attention, with some reformers arguing that the only way to end such partisan map-drawing is to abolish congressional districts entirely. Meanwhile, similar fights are playing out in other states, including Alabama, where a court is weighing a challenge to a GOP-drawn map that critics say dilutes Black voting power.
For Wasserman Schultz, the primary in the 20th District will be a test of her political durability. She has represented South Florida in Congress since 2005 and remains a prominent figure in Democratic politics, but the new district and the crowded field present a significant challenge.
