Democrat Cherfilus-McCormick wins Florida congressional seat, padding House Democrats' slim majority

(Image credit: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

published 12 January 2022

Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won Tuesday's special election in Florida's safely Democratic 20th Congressional District, defeating Republican nominee Jason Mariner 79 percent to 20 percent. Cherfilus-McCormick will be sworn in as soon as Florida's secretary of state certifies the results, giving Democrats a 222-212 advantage in the House, effectively meaning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) can pass legislation without the votes of four Democrats rather than three.

Cherfilus-McCormick will be Florida's first Haitian-American member of Congress. She replaces the late Alcee Hastings, the long-serving Democratic congressman who died from pancreatic cancer in April. "Local Democrats have been frustrated over the 280-day gap between his passing and the special election called by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — timing that left the House majority one seat down most of the year," The Washington Post reports.

"I am so excited and humbled," Cherfilus-McCormick said Tuesday night. "The people have spoken and the people have spoken very loudly." She will have to defend her seat in an August Democratic primary; in last November's primary, she beat a crowded field of 10 other Democrats by only five votes. Cherfilus-McCormick, a 42-year-old health care CEO, loaned her campaign nearly $6 million this last cycle. She has never held elected office but challenged Hastings in the 2018 and 2020 primaries.

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There is still one vacancy in the House, left by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) when he resigned last week to join former President Donald Trump's nascent media company. California will hold a primary in the district in April.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.