{"id":276208,"date":"2026-05-19T05:43:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276208\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T05:43:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:43:19","slug":"poll-shows-vast-majority-in-cd-20-want-black-representation-in-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276208\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll shows vast majority in CD 20 want Black representation in Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new poll shows a majority of Democrats in Florida\u2019s 20th Congressional District want Black representation there to continue.<\/p>\n

A poll conducted for Democrat Elijah Manley\u2019s campaign found 81% of likely Primary voters feel it is \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d important that the district is represented by a Black member of Congress. That includes 93% of Black voters, but also 68% of Hispanic voters and 64% of White voters.<\/p>\n

The survey was conducted by Middle Seat<\/a>, a firm working with progressive campaigns. It was conducted May 9-11 after Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a new congressional map that specifically dismantled<\/a> a district previously believed to be protected by the Voting Rights Act.<\/p>\n

Specifically, pollsters asked: \u201cWith the Supreme Court gutting parts of the Voting Rights Act, Ron DeSantis rigging Florida\u2019s maps to eliminate Black districts and elect more Republicans, and red states across the country doing the same, how important is it to keep FL-20 represented by a Black member of Congress, as it has been for more than 30 years?\u201d<\/p>\n

Based on that wording, 67% of those polled said it was \u201cextremely important\u201d and 14% said \u201cvery important.\u201d Nine percent said it was \u201csomewhat important,\u201d Meanwhile, 3% said it was \u201cnot very important\u201d and 9% said \u201cnot at all important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The recent Louisiana v. Callais ruling<\/a> by the U.S. Supreme Court significantly raised the threshold on drawing maps with race as a motivating factor. A mapmaker in DeSantis\u2019 Office said lines drawn on a new map, created in anticipation of such a ruling, were done in a \u201crace-neutral\u201d way.<\/p>\n

Still, a plurality of the voting edge population in CD 20 is Black, about 42.1% of all voters there, according to Dave\u2019s Redistricting<\/a>. By comparison, about 30.1% of voting age residents are White and 23.3% are Hispanic.<\/p>\n

DeSantis\u2019 map also completely dismantled a prior iteration of Florida\u2019s 25th Congressional District now represented by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The White and Jewish American Democrat has discussed potentially running in CD 20, a safe Democratic seat, rather than run in a seat where a majority of voters supported Republican Donald Trump for President in 2024. The rumblings have created a backlash<\/a> among Black leaders in the area.<\/p>\n

Manley is one of 11 candidates already filed for the seat, and one of six Democrats, all of whom are Black. The number includes former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat who recently resigned<\/a> from the seat while facing potential expulsion over allegations she stole millions in disaster relief to fund her 2021 congressional campaign.<\/p>\n

There is a concern that Black voters could split their votes among several Black candidates, including former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness\u00a0and former 2 Live Crew frontman\u00a0Luke Campbell, which could allow Wasserman Schultz to win the Primary with plurality support.<\/p>\n

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