Debbie Wasserman Schultz Takes 45.6% of the Vote and Wins South Florida Seat Long Represented by Black Democrats

Debbie Wasserman Schultz secured the Democratic nomination in Florida's newly drawn 20th Congressional District on Tuesday, winning a South Florida seat whose Black congressional lineage reaches back to Alcee Hastings' election in 1992.

The 59-year-old congresswoman captured about 45.6% in the five-person primary. Former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness finished second, followed by Elijah Manley, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell, who finished last with about 8.4%.

Her decision to enter District 20 drew criticism months before Election Day. Republican-approved redistricting shifted Wasserman Schultz's previous district toward the GOP, prompting her to seek another term in territory stretching through Broward County and into Palm Beach County.

Black Democrats had represented the district's predecessor territory since Hastings first went to Washington in 1993. Cherfilus-McCormick most recently held the seat before resigning from Congress in April.

The possibility of splitting Black voters was clear well before Election Day. The four candidates met in June seeking agreement on a single person to face Wasserman Schultz, but the talks ended without Holness, Manley, Cherfilus-McCormick or Campbell agreeing to step aside.

Manley delivered some of the campaign's sharpest criticism. The 27-year-old teacher and activist accused Wasserman Schultz of entering the heavily Black district knowing several Black candidates would divide voters who wanted to preserve the seat's history.

She countered by pointing to her ties across South Florida and more than two decades in Congress. Wasserman Schultz previously represented territory within an earlier version of District 20 and argued that her seniority would give residents more clout in Washington.

About $2.8 million in campaign cash gave Wasserman Schultz a financial advantage entering the final weeks. That was more than six times the combined amount held by her four Democratic rivals.

Campbell looked beyond the crowded field when explaining the loss. In a video posted Tuesday night, he said more than 140,000 registered Black voters stayed home rather than choose him or one of the other candidates.

"Black folks stayed home," Campbell said, directing much of his frustration toward voters across Broward County.

Tuesday's arithmetic gave critics another number to examine. Wasserman Schultz easily defeated each opponent individually, but Holness, Manley, Cherfilus-McCormick and Campbell together received roughly 54%, enough to surpass her share by nearly nine percentage points.

Wasserman Schultz won without receiving half of the Democratic vote. With four rivals competing for many of the same voters, none came within 20 percentage points of her 45.6%.

Republican Brent Andersen awaits Wasserman Schultz in November. A victory would send her back to Congress from territory long associated with Hastings, who represented South Florida from 1993 until his death in 2021.