Who's running in Florida's 20th congressional district
3 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative since January 2005; currently represents the 25th District, re-elected there in 2024 with 54.5%.
Chair of the Democratic National Committee, 2011 to 2016.
Chose to run in the 20th District rather than the 22nd, where she lives, after the May 2026 redistricting.
Won the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary against four opponents, including former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
Ten of the fifteen elected Florida members of the Democratic National Committee signed a letter in May 2026 criticising her decision to run in this district.
Arguments in favor
Representation is not the only thing a district needs: "experience matters as well." Twenty years of seniority is what lets a member "lower costs, show up and deliver real results for our communities" — and she won more votes than any other candidate in the district's top ten Black-majority precincts.
— Debbie Wasserman Schultz, reported by WLRN
She won the nomination outright in a five-way primary that included a former Broward mayor, a former member of Congress and a nationally known activist, taking the seat on votes rather than by clearing the field.
— Primary result reported by WLRN and Fox News
Arguments against
"Our party cannot credibly denounce the dismantling of Black political power by Republicans while treating one of Florida's few remaining majority-Black districts as a political opportunity for an incumbent seeking a safer seat... this decision reinforces the same message Republicans have pushed for years: that Black representation does not matter."
— A letter signed by 10 of the 15 elected Florida members of the Democratic National Committee, including Florida Democratic Party Vice Chair Daniel Henry
She does not live in the district and abandoned the one she does: "I'm not surprised that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is carpetbagging to FL-20, a black opportunity district, abandoning her own district and constituents." Dale Holness called her entry a "slap in the face"; her Republican opponent puts it as "I live in this district. My family lives in this district. Debbie Wasserman Schultz does not."
— Elijah Manley and Dale Holness, her Democratic primary opponents, and Brent Andersen
What we couldn’t verify
She lives in the 22nd District under the new map; members of the House are not required to live in the district they represent.
Her committee assignments were not established from the sources found.
Whether she has answered the DNC members' letter directly was not established from the sources found.
Lowering costs and expanding economic opportunity in South Florida.
Constitutional principles he says strengthen families and communities.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Businessman based in Pompano Beach; a Republican Party leader in Broward County.
Endorsed for the primary by Rep. Chip LaMarca and the Sun Sentinel editorial board.
Won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Andersen by name could be found: not from Debbie Wasserman Schultz or her campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, not from his three Republican primary opponents, and not from Broward news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
He has challenged Wasserman Schultz to three public debates; whether she has accepted was not established from the sources found.
His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Independent Party candidate for the 20th District, qualified for the November 3, 2026 general election.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Maxime by name could be found, and no published case for him: no campaign site was located and he has drawn no coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
His positions, fundraising and any endorsements were not reported in material available.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
This seat has been vacant since Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned on April 21, 2026, weeks after the House Ethics Committee found she had misappropriated disaster relief funds for campaign purposes. Three candidates are on the November ballot: Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Republican Brent Andersen and Kedner Maxime of the Independent Party. Wasserman Schultz, who currently represents the 25th District and lives in the 22nd, chose to run here after the May 2026 redistricting; she beat four opponents in the August 18 primary, including Cherfilus-McCormick, former Broward mayor Dale Holness, activist Elijah Manley and Luther Campbell. The central argument of the race is whether a long-serving white incumbent should take one of Florida's few remaining majority-Black districts, and that case has been made publicly by named Democrats and by her Republican opponent alike; it is set out below. No published criticism of Andersen or Maxime by name was found, so neither column is filled for them; their positions are in their profiles.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Florida ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Florida Division of Elections.