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Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2026

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2024
Florida's 20th Congressional District
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General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 24, 2026
Primary: August 18, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Florida

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Florida's 20th Congressional District
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Florida elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 20th Congressional District of Florida, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Florida District 20

Incumbent Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dale Holness, Elijah Manley, Sendra Dorce, and Rod Joseph are running in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 3, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Elijah Manley

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I was born and raised in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk community. Raised by a hardworking single mother and growing up in deep poverty, I experienced chronic homelessness, food insecurity, and the harsh realities of living paycheck to paycheck. I understand what it’s like to go to school hungry, to live without electricity, and to wonder where my family would sleep at night. Despite these hardships, I refused to let my circumstances define me. As a teenager, I started my own small landscaping business, knocking on doors to earn money to help my mother with bills, buy school supplies, and afford bus passes to get to the library—my refuge for learning and growth. At 9 years old, I was inspired by Barack Obama’s historic election, igniting my passion for public service. I began writing to elected officials, speaking at school board and city council meetings, and advocating for issues affecting my community. At Fort Lauderdale High, I enrolled in the criminal justice and law magnet program, joined the Navy JROTC, and dedicated myself to community service, earning recognition for hundreds of volunteer hours. The devastating Parkland shooting pushed me to action, leading me to run for the Broward County School Board at 19 years old. In that countywide race, I earned 43,009 votes and became a recognized voice in the March for Our Lives movement. I went to college, earning my Bachelor's degree in 2025 in History from the University of Maryland Global Campus."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Healthcare Crisis — In Florida's 20th Congressional District, around 17.1% of residents are uninsured, primarily due to the absence of Medicaid expansion. Expanding Medicaid is vital to provide health insurance for many low-income individuals. Medicare for All would enhance access to essential care, eliminate insurance barriers, and improve health outcomes, fostering a more equitable system for all.


Housing Affordability — Florida's housing crisis presents affordability challenges, particularly in low income communities. As a board member of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Civic Association, I work with city leaders and developers to encourage smart growth while maintaining community quality of life. In Congress I plan to secure funding for sustainable, inclusive housing solutions that support residents & businesses.


Thriving Economy — In a region with 13% poverty, economic reform is crucial due to significant wealth inequality, where the three richest individuals have more wealth than the bottom 50%. This issue is evident in District 20, where low wages and limited opportunities prevail. A Jobs for All Guarantee is proposed as a key solution to provide stable jobs with fair wages and benefits for all residents.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Florida

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Healthcare Crisis — In Florida's 20th Congressional District, around 17.1% of residents are uninsured, primarily due to the absence of Medicaid expansion. Expanding Medicaid is vital to provide health insurance for many low-income individuals. Medicare for All would enhance access to essential care, eliminate insurance barriers, and improve health outcomes, fostering a more equitable system for all.

Housing Affordability — Florida's housing crisis presents affordability challenges, particularly in low income communities. As a board member of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Civic Association, I work with city leaders and developers to encourage smart growth while maintaining community quality of life. In Congress I plan to secure funding for sustainable, inclusive housing solutions that support residents & businesses.

Thriving Economy — In a region with 13% poverty, economic reform is crucial due to significant wealth inequality, where the three richest individuals have more wealth than the bottom 50%. This issue is evident in District 20, where low wages and limited opportunities prevail. A Jobs for All Guarantee is proposed as a key solution to provide stable jobs with fair wages and benefits for all residents.
I am extremely passionate about environmental justice, and this includes climate change and the environment broadly. I am extremely passionate about Housing policy, because of my personal experience of struggling with homelessness as a child. I also have an affinity for space, arts, and anything digital.
There are so many people I look up to. Political figures, teachers, historical figures, etc. The person I look up to the most is James Baldwin. His poetry was powerful, he's an LGBT icon, and his politics closely resembles mine.
The most important characteristics or principles for an elected official in my opinion should be honesty, transparency, authenticity, and compassion. Honesty & transparency, because too many politicians are shady. Authenticity, because too many politicians are fake, wearing masks over their true lives. Our stories are our truths. Compassion is the most important to me. A compassionate elected official will be understanding, and feel the pain of every constituent they serve. Too many elected officials are removed from their communities, and forget what it feels like to be "at the bottom."
I am independent thinker. While I am passionate about the issues I hold close, and I am progressive, I am my own guy. Right is right and wrong is wrong. I will do what's right and come to the bet conclusion in line with what I believe.
Being a member of Congress is more than passing legislation and funding the government. It's more than committee assignments and oversight. The main responsibility of a Member of Congress is being the voice of their constituents. To me, the only way to do that is to be visible and engaging. Your constituents need to see you. Another major responsibility is providing constituent services. When a constituent is faced with immigration issues, or having trouble assessing veterans benefits, healthcare, housing or other issues, a Congressional office must be the place to go to solve those problems.
I want to leave a legacy of love and compassion. I also want history to look back at me and see that I did the right thing when it really mattered.
The first historical event that happened in my lifetime, that I can consciously remember, was election night 2008. I was nine years old, and Barack Obama had just been elected 44th President of the United States. I remember going to bed, and waking up to loud noise in my house. My mom was screaming and fireworks were going off outside. I got out of bed and went in to the hallway to look at the television. I saw then President-elect Barack Obama addressing his supporters on live TV. I listened to his entire victory speech. It was late, and everybody in the entire neighborhood were partying, cooking, and banging pots and pans together. You know what I remember most? More than any other detail that night? I remember how I felt. It was the most intense feeling of happiness and pride I had ever felt before. Before that night, I didn't believe I was equal or enough. The next day, I went to school with my head up, and proud. I wanted to be President someday too.
My very first job was at 12 years old. It was landscaping. After school, I would go door to door and ask my neighbors if I could wash their cars, and cut their grass. Eventually, they became clients. I would have 15 or 20 clients per week. This money allowed me to pay for school field trips, hygiene products, transportation, food, and help my mother pay the bills. My first job in adulthood was working in the life & health insurance industry. I worked in life insurance for a bit, and when that didn't work out, I went to work for a healthcare firm. I subsequently worked in the food service industry.
To Kill a Mockingbird. I hated it in high school because I had to read it, but I actually appreciate it more at this point.
A few things. First, poverty. I grew up really poor, and worked as hard as I could to try to change that. It wasn't always easy. We were homeless sometimes. We showered at the beach before dawn, and went to school everyday like nothing had happened. I went hungry some days. I had substance abuse problems. I struggled with PTSD due to sexual assault. I struggled with facing homophobia from friends and loved ones growing up. I've also did things I wasn't proud of, myself. I'm a human who has made mistakes, and it just makes me more human. Politicians try to pretend like they're perfect and have everything figured out. No one does. I admit that I am not perfect, and if elected I too will make mistakes. However, I will never lie about it.
The House has the power of the purse, and the power of impeachment. As the people's house, those are extraordinary and unique powers entrusted into the hands of the people.
In certain cases, but that can also be a bad thing. You should never go into politics with the intent of making it a career. The intent should be helping and serving people, and then getting out of the way when you're no longer effective. We are currently lacking that in politics today. The incumbents are not mentoring the next generation of leaders. Instead, they are selfishly holding on to seats for thirty plus years. We should always elect the best person for office, regardless of previous experience. It's hard to change things if the same individuals keep getting re-elected.
The United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade will be defeating fascism and oligarchy, and addressing the climate crisis, which is one of our gravest national security threats.
Yes. Two-year terms keep Representatives accountable to their constituents.
While I generally support term limits on various levels of government, I believe that elections are term limits. I do not support limiting the amount of terms a member of Congress can serve. The people, through their votes, have the authority to limit their elected Representatives' service in office.
Rep. AOC is an incredible messenger, I would look to her and her model as inspiration in Congress.
A few years back, a young man in my district shared with me that they were recovering from a meth (and opioid) addiction. I was touched by the horror stories of his substance abuse, and the lack of services he was able to acquire. It certainly left a mark on me, and has led me to view healthcare policy in a different lens.
I love cheesy dad jokes, and I am good at telling them! One cheese joke of note: "When does a joke become a dad joke? Well, during the delivery it becomes apparent."
Compromise is always a good thing, when it is possible to do so. When you're losing, it is preferable to take whatever wins you can get, and live to fight another day. But, there are certain values that can't be compromised. Our constituents send us to Washington to fight for them, not to throw the towel in.
We need to hold the executive branch accountable for its overreach and illegal activity under this crooked Trump Administration. We must subpoena officials, records, and document to ensure that the American people know what the crook in the Trump administration are doing. I want Elon Musk and DOGE subpoenaed.
It's early and I will update this as the campaign goes on. So far: Path to Progress
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; The Committee on Foreign Affairs; The Committee on Intelligence; The Committee on Energy and Commerce; The Committee on the Judiciary.
Financial transparency and government accountability is important. We don't have that now. With Elon Musk and Donald Trump assessing our personal information and ignoring Congress, emboldened by the far-right GOP, there is no accountability either. Here at home, our Congresswoman is alleged to have taken $6m in overpayments from the state and used that money to run for Congress. She is being investigated by the House ethics committee, and sued by the state. Instead of being forthcoming, she run away from reporters and has not cooperated with authorities. Our district deserves transparency about what happened to nearly $6m in taxpayer funds.


You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Democratic Party $158,520 $52,530 $113,506 As of June 30, 2025
Dale Holness Democratic Party $0 $0 $19,082 As of June 30, 2025
Elijah Manley Democratic Party $484,539 $384,869 $99,669 As of June 30, 2025
Sendra Dorce Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Rod Joseph Republican Party $20,029 $17,093 $2,935 As of June 30, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
9/2/20258/26/20258/19/20258/12/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

2024

See also: Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2024

Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Democratic primary)

General election

The general election was canceled. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) won without appearing on the ballot.

2022

Regular election

See also: Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 20

Incumbent Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Drew-Montez Clark in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)
 
72.3
 
136,215
Image of Drew-Montez Clark
Drew-Montez Clark (R) Candidate Connection
 
27.7
 
52,151

Total votes: 188,366
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20

Incumbent Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Dale Holness and Anika Tene Omphroy in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on August 23, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
 
65.6
 
47,601
Image of Dale Holness
Dale Holness
 
28.6
 
20,783
Image of Anika Tene Omphroy
Anika Tene Omphroy Candidate Connection
 
5.8
 
4,197

Total votes: 72,581
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Drew-Montez Clark advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20.

Special election

See also: Florida's 20th Congressional District special election, 2022

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Florida District 20

The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. House Florida District 20 on January 11, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)
 
79.0
 
44,707
Image of Jason Mariner
Jason Mariner (R) Candidate Connection
 
19.4
 
10,966
Image of Mike ter Maat
Mike ter Maat (L) Candidate Connection
 
0.7
 
395
Image of Jim Flynn
Jim Flynn (No Party Affiliation) Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
265
Image of Leonard Serratore
Leonard Serratore (No Party Affiliation)
 
0.5
 
262
Image of Shelley Fain
Shelley Fain (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
22

Total votes: 56,617
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20

The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 2, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
 
23.8
 
11,662
Image of Dale Holness
Dale Holness
 
23.8
 
11,657
Image of Barbara Sharief
Barbara Sharief
 
17.7
 
8,684
Image of Perry Thurston
Perry Thurston
 
14.8
 
7,283
Image of Bobby DuBose
Bobby DuBose
 
7.0
 
3,458
Image of Omari Hardy
Omari Hardy
 
5.9
 
2,902
Priscilla Taylor
 
3.4
 
1,677
Image of Elvin Dowling
Elvin Dowling Candidate Connection
 
1.3
 
646
Image of Emmanuel Morel
Emmanuel Morel
 
0.9
 
454
Image of Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson Candidate Connection
 
0.7
 
343
Imran Siddiqui
 
0.6
 
316

Total votes: 49,082
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20

Jason Mariner defeated Greg Musselwhite in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 2, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jason Mariner
Jason Mariner Candidate Connection
 
57.8
 
3,500
Image of Greg Musselwhite
Greg Musselwhite
 
42.2
 
2,553

Total votes: 6,053
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: Florida's 20th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 20

Incumbent Alcee Hastings defeated Greg Musselwhite in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 20 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Alcee Hastings
Alcee Hastings (D)
 
78.7
 
253,661
Image of Greg Musselwhite
Greg Musselwhite (R) Candidate Connection
 
21.3
 
68,748

Total votes: 322,409
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20

Incumbent Alcee Hastings defeated Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on August 18, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Alcee Hastings
Alcee Hastings
 
69.3
 
62,759
Image of Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
 
30.7
 
27,831

Total votes: 90,590
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20

Greg Musselwhite defeated Vic DeGrammont in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 20 on August 18, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Greg Musselwhite
Greg Musselwhite Candidate Connection
 
52.0
 
5,394
Image of Vic DeGrammont
Vic DeGrammont
 
48.0
 
4,975

Total votes: 10,369
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates



District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

See also

Florida 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018


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Neal Dunn (R)
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Anna Luna (R)
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