It's Tuesday, August 18th, and that means there are primaries taking place in several states across the country: Wyoming, Florida, Alaska, and California's 14th congressional district.
In Florida, primaries are being held to determine nominees for governor, as well as for the Senate and House. While there are plenty of interesting races to watch there, one of particular interest for its sheer comedic value is the Democrat primary for the Sunshine State's 20th congressional district.
The DeSantis-backed redrawing of its districts earlier this year created quite a conundrum for longtime House Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), whose district became far more GOP-friendly under the new map. So she had a decision to make: Stay in it and risk losing to a Republican, or run in a majority minority district that has been represented by a black Democrat for the last 30 years? She opted for the latter option, which resulted in the black Democrat candidates in District 20 lining up to oppose her.
READ MORE: Black Democrats Declare War on 'Jim Crow' Debbie Wasserman Schultz After She Reveals 2026 Plans
Black Democrats have represented it since its creation in 1993, when it was considered the 23rd district. Alcee Hastings held the seat from 1993 until his death in April 2021. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who had unsuccessfully challenged Hastings for the seat in the 2018 and 2020 primaries, won the special election, then the general election in 2022, and won reelection in 2024.
Though she resigned from Congress in disgrace in April 2026 in light of a campaign finance scandal, House ethics violations, and a pending legal case against her, she soon declared she would run again in what turned out to be a crowded field of black Democrats until Wasserman Schultz declared she was switching districts.
To be clear, there has been infighting in that district well before Wasserman Schultz's announcement. Socialist Democrat Elijah Manley, for instance, who declared his candidacy early on, was sued by Cherfilus-McCormick in September 2025 over "lies" she says he told about her record and reputation, resulting in some knock-down dragouts like this one from October 2025:
A visit U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick made to a local Democratic club last week devolved into nastiness when a Primary opponent she’s suing drew her into a heated argument captured on video.
Near the end of the 4-minute exchange, the 46-year-old lawmaker appeared to let loose a classic insult salvo at Elijah Manley, her 26-year-old challenger: “Your mama.”
[...]
“If you want to come up here and be disrespectful, let’s rock ‘n’ roll,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I’ve got time today.”
“We can rock ‘n’ roll when you’re out of the seat you’re holding,” Manley answered.
“Your mama,” Cherfilus-McCormick appeared to fire back before Scurry successfully got the pair to disengage.
Watch:
Not surprisingly, a plan that was floated by all the black Democrats who are running, which was to coalesce around one candidate other than Wasserman Schultz ahead of the primary, did not get anywhere.
As for Wasserman Schultz, amid rubbing elbows with the black community, she's not disagreeing that "black representation" is important - but she thinks that in this particular race, there should be an exception to the rule:
"Representation matters and lived experience matters. But experience and making sure that you have someone who has the seniority and the seasoning to be able to deliver for a district, it matters as well," she said.
Manley, meanwhile, has accused her of using "Jim Crow"-style tactics, claiming she is trying to "silence black voices":
“While the Republicans are trying their hardest to silence Black voices, I don’t expect somebody in our own party — a white Democrat — to do the same,” Manley said at the June 17 debate.
As I've said before, in a sane world, people would reject arguments that certain districts should be reserved for any person based on race, sex, religion, etc. But Democrats built this insanity, and now they are tearing themselves apart over it, bless their hearts.
The icing on the cake here would be for Wasserman Schultz to win the primary and anger enough black Democrats to the extent that she ends up losing the blue district to a Republican. That would be karma not just for her, but for her Democrat opponents, the party, and for the whole ridiculous and insulting concept of identity politics.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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