Florida gerrymandering puts Debbie Wasserman Schultz in awkward position of running to represent 42% Black district

Florida's newly redrawn congressional district has put longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in an awkward position. She is seeking reelection to Congress, but she is running in a district that is 42% Black, making her the only white candidate in the area. This comes after Republicans reconfigured the state's congressional map this year.

Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is Black, criticized Wasserman Schultz for erasing Broward County's history and fight for Black access to Congress. Another candidate, Elijah Manley, acknowledged that Wasserman Schultz had other options but accused Republicans of "stabbing us in the back" by trying to take away Black representation.

Wasserman Schultz, 59, is the best-funded candidate among five Democratic candidates and benefits from Florida's primary rules that do not require a majority to win. She argues that she can represent the whole region after representing diverse communities for three decades. The district was redrawn to be majority Black, with a significant Caribbean population, most notably Haitian Americans.

The current field of candidates also includes Black candidates Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell and Dale Holness, as well as former 2 Live Crew rapper Uncle Luke. The controversy over representation has sparked debate, with some arguing that lived experience matters while others contend that broader experience matters as well.