Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) announced on Friday that she’s seeking re-election in another district after the Sunshine State passed a new congressional map.

“Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Florida’s 20th congressional district. 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,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Watch the announcement below:

The Hill shared further:

The deep-blue 20th District was previously held by Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from Congress last month amid allegations of financial misconduct that were poised to lead to her expulsion from the chamber.

But Cherfilus-McCormick is already running again for the now-reconfigured 20th District, teeing up a Democratic primary showdown with Wasserman Schultz.

The Cook Political Report rates the seat as solidly Democratic and argues that Cherfilus-McCormick’s exit “has created an opening” for Wasserman Schultz, but it notes that the congresswoman is facing resistance from Black political leaders over the move.

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The plurality Black district has long been represented by a Black lawmaker, and several are running in the Aug. 18 primary for the seat. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by double digits in 2024, even as Trump won the state for a third consecutive cycle.

Maureen O’Toole, a spokesperson for Republicans’ House campaign arm, accused Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chair, of “abandoning her home district because she knows she was headed for defeat” in the district that Trump won by double digits in 2024, calling the seat “a prime pickup opportunity” for the GOP.

The political reshuffling comes after Republicans in Florida advanced a map that created four GOP pickup chances, in part by scrambling Wasserman Schultz’s South Florida seat.

Wasserman Schultz has long been a key figure in the Democratic Party, leading the party as Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair from 2011 to 2016.

First elected to Congress in 2004, Wasserman Schultz is a long-time senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

“Debbie Wasserman Schultz is carpetbagging to FL-20, a black opportunity district instead of running in her own. DWS is everything that’s wrong with the Democratic establishment. From insider trading to payday lenders. I look forward to retiring her from public office permanently,” Democratic candidate Elijah Manley said.

More from The New York Times:

In response to the criticism, Ms. Wasserman Schultz said in the interview that she already represents a majority-minority district, where a plurality of voters are Hispanic, and has a proven track record of helping diverse communities. Her announcement video included supportive clips from a number of people, including several Black activists and officials. She also emphasized her seniority and experience.

The Republican Party portrayed Ms. Wasserman Schultz as “abandoning her home district” because she would lose. The congresswoman has long lived in Weston, a city west of Fort Lauderdale that is in the new, Republican-leaning 22nd District.

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“Instead of facing voters after years of backing Democrats’ failed agenda, Wasserman Schultz is running scared,” Maureen O’Toole, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.

 

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