An effort by Black Democrats to stymie Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-Fla.) run for a plurality Black seat is falling apart.

Four Black candidates are eyeing Florida’s new 20th District, where Wasserman Schultz has declared a bid. Black voters make up roughly 40% of the district, but DWS will have a clearer path to victory if they don’t coalesce behind a single candidate.

The four contenders are activist Elijah Manley, former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is under federal indictment and resigned from Congress in April.

At a Monday summit, the four candidates discussed uniting behind one Black Democrat. But the meeting ended without a resolution, leaving them bickering over who is to blame.

“I’m done with the meetings; it’s time for somebody to be the adult in the room,” Manley told us. “People wanted to drag along time and boost their ego and go behind the scenes and play games. And I don’t have time for that.”

Now Manley, Holness and Cherfilus-McCormick have all said they plan to run. Florida’s filing deadline is today.

Inside the talks. The Supreme Court’s decision to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has put Black districts in real danger across the South and made maintaining Black representation in this district even more important.

The four Democrats held a vote on whether to step aside to unite behind a single candidate. Everyone agreed except Cherfilus-McCormick, according to sources familiar with the meeting. But it was unclear how a candidate would ultimately be chosen.

Cherfilus-McCormick didn’t comment.

Cherfilus-McCormick represented the 20th District until she resigned on April 21. Cherfilus-McCormick faces accusations that she improperly funneled millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds into her 2021 congressional campaign. The House Ethics Committee was on the brink of sanctioning her. Cherfilus-McCormick denies the charges, but as the one-time incumbent, she would still have a high name ID.

Manley was running against Cherfilus-McCormick before the resignation. Holness previously lost to Cherfilus-McCormick by five votes in 2021.

DWS’ view. Many are pointing fingers at Wasserman Schultz. Florida Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting left the veteran Democratic lawmaker without an obvious seat to run for. Manley has accused Wasserman Schultz of undermining Black political power by switching districts.

Wasserman Schultz insisted she’s a “Broward girl” who represented nine of the district’s 14 cities in her political career.

“There’s a lot at stake in making sure that we have someone with the seniority and the clout and the experience as a senior appropriator, who can bring home resources to the district,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Jeffries’ dilemma. The situation has forced House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries into an uncomfortable spot. Jeffries’ job is to protect incumbents, but Wasserman Schultz isn’t the incumbent in this district. While she’s a close leadership ally who serves on the influential Steering and Policy Committee, her candidacy is angering Black Democrats.

Jeffries hasn’t endorsed Wasserman Schultz. Instead, he’s walked a tightrope of praising her as a “very important member of the leadership team” while noting everyone needs to be sensitive to the “unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on Black political representation.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ political arm, told us the CBC PAC “has not gotten involved in that race” and declined to criticize DWS.

“I never tell anybody else whether they should or shouldn’t run,” Meeks said.