Black Democrats Are Scrambling to Find Someone to Run Against Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Several Black candidates are coordinating to defeat the senior House Democrat who decided to run for reelection in a historically Black district.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz angered Black Democrats in Florida and Washington when she decided to run for reelection in a newly drawn district previously represented by Black lawmakers. Susan Walsh/AP

Black Democrats in Florida and Washington are infuriated with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Two weeks after Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) announced she will be seeking reelection in Florida’s new 20th Congressional District, four Black Democratic candidates competing in the race are hoping to stop her from winning the nomination in a district that has historically been represented by a Black lawmaker.

Democrats were surprised by the senior Democrat’s move, which followed Gov. Ron DeSantis signing legislation that redrew the state’s congressional maps in an effort to bolster Republicans’ chances to pick up seats in the 2026 midterms. Wasserman Schultz’s current district was effectively eliminated.