Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 20th district | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 18, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Alcee Hastings |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sheila Cherfilus January 25, 1979 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Corlie McCormick (m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Howard University (BA) St. Thomas University (JD) |
| Website | House website |
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (born January 25, 1979)[1] is an American attorney, businesswoman, and politician serving as the U.S representative for Florida's 20th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, she won a special election in 2022 to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Alcee Hastings.[2]
Early life and career[]
Cherfilus-McCormick was born in Brooklyn to parents from Haiti and raised in Queens. She moved to Florida at 13 to attend high school.[3] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from Howard University and a Juris Doctor from the St. Thomas University School of Law.[4]
After graduating from college, Cherfilus-McCormick served as a project manager for the New York City Transit Authority. From 1999 to 2007, she worked as the vice president for operations of Trinity Health Care Services, a Florida-based family home health care company co-founded by her stepfather, Gabriel Smith. She later served as CEO.[5]
U.S. House of Representatives[]
Elections[]
2018[]
Cherfilus-McCormick ran for Florida's 20th congressional district in the August 28 Democratic primary against incumbent Alcee Hastings in 2018.[6] She lost, 73.6%–26.4%.[7]
2020[]
She announced she would seek a rematch against Hastings in 2020. She noted various ethics concerns facing Hastings and his health as reasons for running.[4] She lost the August 18 primary, 69.3%–30.7%.[8]
2022 special[]
Cherfilus-McCormick was again a candidate for the 20th district in the 2022 special election.[9][10][11] During her special election campaign, she loaned $3.7 million to her campaign organization.[12][13] She campaigned on progressive policies such as a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and a $1,000-a-month universal basic income.[3] Her campaign was supported by Brand New Congress, a progressive organization that also backed candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib.[14]
After a recount, Cherfilus-McCormick was declared the winner of the Democratic primary by five votes over Broward County commissioner Dale Holness. She easily defeated Republican Jason Mariner in the January 11, 2022, general election.[15][16] She is the only Haitian-American Democrat ever elected to Congress and only the second overall, after Republican Mia Love of Utah.[17]
Committee assignments[]
- Committee on Education and Labor[18]
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs[18]
Caucus memberships[]
- Congressional Black Caucus[19]
Electoral history[]
- 2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alcee Hastings (incumbent) | 52,628 | 73.8% | |
| Democratic | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | 18,697 | 26.2% | |
| Total votes | 71,325 | 100.0% | ||
- 2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alcee Hastings (incumbent) | 62,759 | 69.3% | |
| Democratic | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | 27,831 | 30.7% | |
| Total votes | 90,590 | 100.0% | ||
- 2022 (special)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | 11,662 | 23.76 | |
| Democratic | Dale Holness | 11,657 | 23.75 | |
| Democratic | Barbara Sharief | 8,680 | 17.69 | |
| Democratic | Perry E. Thurston Jr. | 7,282 | 14.84 | |
| Democratic | Bobby DuBose | 3,458 | 7.05 | |
| Democratic | Omari Hardy | 2,902 | 5.91 | |
| Democratic | Priscilla Taylor | 1,677 | 3.42 | |
| Democratic | Elvin Dowling | 646 | 1.32 | |
| Democratic | Emmanuel Morel | 454 | 0.93 | |
| Democratic | Phil Jackson | 342 | 0.69 | |
| Democratic | Imran Siddiqui | 316 | 0.64 | |
| Total votes | 49,074 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick | 44,707 | 79.00 | |
| Republican | Jason Mariner | 10,966 | 19.38 | |
| Libertarian | Mike ter Maat | 395 | 0.70 | |
| Independent | Jim Flynn | 265 | 0.47 | |
| Independent | Lenny Serratore | 262 | 0.46 | |
| Total votes | 56,595 | 100.00 | ||
Personal life[]
Cherfilus-McCormick married lawyer Corlie McCormick in 2017 and lives in Miramar, Florida.[4]
References[]
- ^ "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Weigel, David (11 January 2022). "Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick wins House seat in Florida special election". Washington Post.
Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won Tuesday’s election to fill Florida’s vacant 20th Congressional District, returning her party to the 222-seat majority it held after the 2020 elections.
- ^ a b Kassel, Matthew (October 20, 2021). "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick hopes the third time's a charm in FL20". Jewish Insider. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c Washington, Wayne (August 6, 2020). "Lawyer makes second run at long-time incumbent Hastings". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ Knowles, Tiffani (November 30, 2021). "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick preps to lead in D.C." Miami Times Online. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Haitian-American Woman Looks to Unseat Hastings in Florida Primary". The Haitian Times. August 23, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ Almukhtar, Sarah; et al. (August 30, 2018). "Florida Primary Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ "Florida Primary Election Results 2020". NPR. May 1, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ Putney, Michael (2021-10-29). "She's running for Congress, but are her ads misleading?". WPLG. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ "Wealthy candidate pumps staggering $2.3 million of her own money into Florida special election". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ Fineout, Gary. "'Powerball politics': Democrats worry DeSantis is unbeatable". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ Morse, Hannah. ""They Deserve to Be Safe": Candidates Call on Florida to Investigate the Health Effects of Sugar Cane Burning". ProPublica. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- ^ "Health CEO leads after recount in Florida congressional race". AP NEWS. 2021-11-13. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ LeBlancJune 11, Rhonda Veerasawmy; Pm, 2021 at 3:03 (2021-06-11). "Brand New Congress endorses Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in CD 20 Special Election". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ Kihara, David. "Cherfilus-McCormick apparent winner in Florida Democratic primary for Hastings' seat". Politico PRO. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Steve Contorno. "Businesswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is apparent winner of Florida primary for late Alcee Hastings' seat". CNN. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Rivero, Daniel; Brutus, Wilkine; Switalski Muñnoz, Caitie (November 3, 2021). "South Florida could soon have its first Haitian or Jamaican-American Congress member. But first, a recount". WLRN-FM. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ a b "Pelosi Announces Committee Assignments for Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick". www.speaker.gov. February 2, 2022.
- ^ Lowry, Bryan (January 19, 2022). "Cherfilus-McCormick, first Haitian American from Florida, officially joins Congress". WLRN. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "August 28, 2018 Primary Election Official Results". Florida Secretary of State. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "August 18, 2020 Primary Election Official Results". Florida Secretary of State. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "2021 Florida Special Primary Election Results: 20th Congressional District". NBC News. November 3, 2021.
- ^ Greenwood, Max (2021-11-16). "Florida officials certify 5-vote victory in primary for Alcee Hastings' seat". TheHill. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
External links[]
- Representative Cherfilus-McCormick official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Authority control |
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- 1979 births
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- 21st-century American businesswomen
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women lawyers
- 21st-century American women politicians
- African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
- African-American women in business
- African-American women in politics
- African-American women lawyers
- African-American lawyers
- American people of Haitian descent
- American politicians of Haitian descent
- Businesspeople from Florida
- Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School alumni
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Florida Democrats
- Florida lawyers
- Howard University alumni
- Living people
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida
- People from Miramar, Florida
- St. Thomas University (Florida) alumni