Dorothy

Progressive House candidate Elijah Manley on Monday accused Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) of trying to dilute black representation by running in a newly drawn South Florida district where she faces four black candidates in Tuesday’s primary.

Meanwhile, progressive activist Elijah Manley is facing Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, in a controversial 20th Congressional District primary. Manley is not a member of the DSA but he identifies as a democratic socialists.

Wasserman Schultz, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a member of Congress since 2005, is the only white candidate running in the 20th District and she’s facing four black opponents, including Manley, in Tuesday’s primary.

Wasserman Schultz, 59, is running in the 20th District after Florida’s GOP-controlled state legislature approved a new congressional map in the spring that significantly reshaped the state’s political boundaries. The 20th district, which includes Fort Lauderdale, has traditionally been represented by a black member of Congress and remains deeply Democratic.

Republicans also eliminated Wasserman Schultz's former district, as the white, Jewish lawmaker is now facing some backlash for running in a historically Black and deeply Democratic area in Broward County that also includes the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Vindman, a retired army lt col, and an impeachment witness against Trump during the president’s first term of office, is polling clear of state representative Angie Nixon in the Democratic primary. He has run a “Florida First” campaign that leans heavily on establishment values – the economy, social security stability for seniors, and tackling corruption in Washington.

Then there's Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, a DSA member, who is running in the Senate Democratic primary against Alex Vindman, the retired Army lieutenant colonel who gave critical evidence during Trump's first impeachment.

Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who became a Democrat last year, is the best-known candidate running for his party's gubernatorial nomination. No Democrat has won an election for Florida governor in more than three decades.

Dan Bilzerian is challenging Jewish Rep. Fine in Florida Republican primary. Politicians and elected officials from both parties are denouncing the onslaught of antisemitic postings, including posts directed at Jewish Republican Rep. Randy Fine by Dan Bilzerian, who is challenging Fine in Florida's 6th Congressional District.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) similarly called Bilzerian’s attacks “disgusting,” adding that “antisemitism and outward hatred of Jewish communities have no place in our politics or in America.”

"The vile attack ads against Congressman Randy Fine in Florida's 6th District are disgusting and should be condemned by all political leaders on the Right and Left. Antisemitism and outward hatred of Jewish communities have no place in our politics or in America, and we will continue to call them out wherever they arise," Johnson posted on X.

Moskowitz, who enjoys establishment backing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is also supported by AIPAC, a major pro-Israel political group. Larkin has support from prominent far-left figures, including controversial political streamer Hasan Piker.

The dynamic has also surfaced in the gubernatorial primary. Trump-backed Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is Black and Christian, is the overwhelming favorite in the crowded field, but former investment firm CEO James Fishback has attracted attention with a campaign featuring racist and antisemitic messaging.

“I think that ultimately it’s up to the voters. And not every voter is going to vote, you know, on racial lines,” Manley said. “I think it’s cynical for the congresswoman to carpetbag into a district and try to take away black representation in a split field.”

Manley acknowledged concerns that the crowded field could split the black vote and help Wasserman Schultz win the Democratic nomination. Former Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned in April after she was accused of stealing disaster relief money, is running for the seat again. Additionally, former rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness are seeking the nomination.