The desperate, failed attempt to keep one Florida district Black
Efforts to consolidate the Black vote here were frustrated, handing the Democratic nomination to a white party insider A major plot line of the hyper-partisan, mid-decade redistricting arms races – launched at the urging of Donald Trump – has been the elimination of traditionally Black congressional seats in the south. In the midst of that battle, a subplot emerged: a challenge to one of those…
Efforts to consolidate the Black vote in a Florida district were unsuccessful, resulting in the Democratic nomination going to a white party insider. The story of the hyper-partisan redistricting that occurred during the mid-decade period is centered around the elimination of traditionally Black congressional seats in the southern region.
Amidst this battle, a sub-plot arose when Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a veteran congresswoman whose own district was divided, decided to pursue re-election in Florida's 20th congressional district. This district had previously been represented by a Black legislator for many years. Wasserman Schultz's candidacy and primary victory raise important questions about the significance of personal experience as a prerequisite for representing minority communities, how Black Democratic candidates should handle criticism from non-Black opponents, and the internal economic challenges faced by so-called Black seats that are located in districts where candidates typically raise less campaign funds.
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