A former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee announced a campaign running for Florida’s 20th Congressional District and was immediately accused of “dismantling” black “power.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) was redistricted out of her previous seat and opted to run in the 20th district, which is composed of about 50% black residents.
‘DWS is everything that’s wrong with the Democratic establishment.’
In a statement released Tuesday, nearly all the DNC members from Florida condemned the decision by Schultz.
“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,” the statement reads.
Schultz, who has been in Congress for more than two decades, would likely win an easy contest in the general election in the left-leaning district. However, other Democrats accused Schultz of using her power to make her campaign easier.
“Debbie Wasserman Schultz is carpetbagging to FL-20, a black opportunity district instead of running in her own,” said Elijah Manley, another Democratic candidate running for Florida’s 20th district.
“DWS is everything that’s wrong with the Democratic establishment. … I look forward to retiring her from public office permanently.”
Others like former 2 Live Crew rapper and black activist Luther Campbell, who is also running for the seat as a Democrat, warned Democrats that the black community is taking notice.
“To the Florida DNC members who stayed silent — we see you too. We’re taking receipts,” Campbell wrote on social media. “Congressional District 20 is not a political opportunity seat. Black representation matters. Lived experience matters. Make sure you’re on the right side of history.”
“This decision reinforces the same message Republicans have pushed for years: that black representation does not matter,” the Florida Democrats continued in their letter. “It does matter. Representation matters. Lived experience matters.”
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Schultz ran the Democratic Party from May 2011 until July 2016, just a few months before President Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. The late Harry Reid, a top Democratic leader, blamed Schultz for the devastating loss.
“We need a full time DNC chair and what they should do — they can take my model if they want — it’s not rocket science,” Reid said at the time. “It doesn’t take a lot of brain power to figure out what needs to be done.”
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