MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Sen. Rosalind Osgood is urging Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz not to run in Florida’s newly drawn District 20, warning that it would undermine long-standing Black representation.
Speaking to CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede on “Facing South Florida,” Osgood said, “We don’t want it to be her legacy that she remains in Congress by disenfranchising the Black community.”
Wasserman Schultz has not announced where she will run in 2026, but recent reports indicate she is actively polling in both Congressional District 20 and Congressional District 22.
One option under consideration is District 20, the seat formerly held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and long represented by Black lawmakers.
District 22 runs from Weston through the Everglades to parts of Naples and Marco Island, and backed President Donald Trump by about 10 points. District 20 is a safely Democratic seat Kamala Harris won by roughly 37 points. It is about 40% Black, and has been represented by Black lawmakers for 34 years, including former Rep. Alcee Hastings and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
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If Wasserman Schultz enters the District 20 race, she would face at least five Black Democratic candidates, raising concerns that she could advance by splitting the Black vote. The Broward County Democratic Black Caucus has already asked her not to run there, warning the move could spark a racially charged primary.
Osgood said she recently spoke directly with Wasserman Schultz, urging her to reconsider.
“We want to have someone with our lived experience representing us in Congress,” Osgood said on CBS News Miami. “We want little Black boys and little Black girls to see somebody that looks like them so that they can dream.”
She added that the community wants to continue working with Wasserman Schultz, but believes District 20 should remain represented by Black leadership.
“We just need her to pause and hear us,” Osgood said.
The debate comes as new congressional maps signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis reshape Florida’s political landscape. The redistricting, based on voter data and partisan analysis, could give Republicans up to four additional seats.
The changes have triggered a statewide scramble for candidates. Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz is expected to announce soon whether he will run in the newly drawn District 25, which stretches from Miami Beach and Aventura up through Fort Lauderdale and into parts of Palm Beach County.
