‘Trailblazer’ Cherfilus-McCormick is first Haitian American sent to Congress from FL
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a healthcare executive who won a crowded primary by a slim margin, was elected on Tuesday by a majority of voters in Palm Beach and Broward counties, taking a seat in Congress left empty by the death of U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings.
By comfortably beating Republican Jason Mariner, Cherfilus-McCormick, 36, becomes the first Haitian-American to be elected to Congress from Florida and becomes the first Haitian-American Democrat to be in the U.S. House of Representatives. She received about 78% of the vote.
Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love from Utah, a Republican, was the first Haitian-American elected to Congress.
Florida’s 20th Congressional District, which includes parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties, is one of two majority-Black Congressional districts in South Florida — which is also home to the largest population of Haitians outside of Haiti.
At a victory party at Smitty’s Wings of Sistrunk in Fort Lauderdale, Cherfilus-McCormick said it was a “historical moment for our district,” and for her personally, being “the daughter of immigrants who watched my parents work night and day as taxi cab drivers.”
“The support was so overwhelming. No one thought that a little girl like me who was growing up in this district, who was raising a daughter by myself at the time, would ever be here. So this means so much for us to be here,” said Cherfilus-McCormick as her voice broke from the emotion. “We’re definitely an example of the American Dream.”
Cherfilus-McCormick referenced some moments in the campaign where she said white supremacist groups intimidated voters at the polls, but that she was committed to making sure hate groups did not have a place in the community to keep residents from voting.
“The fight for voting rights is not over. The fight for civil rights is not over... in every sense of the word, it’s starting over,” she said of her priorities in Congress.
Cherfilus-McCormick said she’s tentatively expected to be sworn in on Jan. 13 at 9 a.m., but needs to wait for Florida’s Secretary of State to certify the election results.
An addition to the progressive caucus
Cherfilus-McCormick is expected to join a growing voice of progressive Democrats in the U.S. House. As a candidate, she campaigned on a “People’s Prosperity Plan,” a stimulus proposal that she hoped would give $1,000 monthly stimulus checks to adults making less than $75,000 a year. In an interview with the Herald, Cherfilus-McCormick said she supports proposals from other progressives in the House, like U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, to push for regular income checks.
She has said she supports a Medicare-for-all type of healthcare policy, and was supportive of initiatives pushed by President Joe Biden to open up more opportunities to access capital for Black business owners.
U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, chairwoman for the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement she was proud to welcome Cherfilus-McCormick to the House and the caucus.
“We are very proud to welcome Congresswoman-elect Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to the CBC family. Her commitment to the people of her district, the state of Florida, and our nation is exemplary, and we know she will continue the legacy of excellence provided by her predecessor, the late Congressman Hastings,” said Beatty, a Democrat.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, also welcomed the newest member of his party to the House. Cherfilus-McCormick’s election gives Democrats a 10-vote advantage on Republicans with 222 seats to 212.
“Rep. Hastings was a champion for Floridians in the 20th Congressional District and lived a life of service to his state. I look forward to serving with Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in the Democratic House Majority to deliver on President Biden’s agenda in the year ahead,” Hoyer of Maryland said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, also congratulated Cherfilus-McCormick in a statement for her “resounding victory in South Florida.”
“I look forward to welcoming Rep.-elect Cherfilus-McCormick to Congress and working alongside her as we continue to build on the important work Democrats are doing to create a better economy for every American,” he said.
Cherfilus-McCormick has been critical of U.S. relations with Haiti, when it comes to foreign and domestic immigration policy, saying she will prioritize the humane treatment of Haitian migrants.
“We see inconsistencies when it comes to that,” said Cherfilus-McCormick. “That is something that we have to address... We have to be good allies with people in Haiti and Haitian Americans here.”
Haitian advocacy group celebrates
Members of Haitian Bridge Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group which represents the Haitian community in the United States, also congratulated Cherfilus-McCormick on her victory, calling her a “trailblazer, mother and fearless community leader.”
Guerline Jozef, co-founder and executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, said her election to Congress comes at a pivotal moment for Haitian Americans.
“This congressional win is one that will be historic, as she will be the only Haitian-American woman serving in this capacity at the federal level. This continuously illustrates the wit, determination, and also provides an insight into all the contributions of the Haitian-American community to the United States. As President Biden continuously sends expulsion flights to Haiti, which includes pregnant women and children, this historic moment sends the message that Haitian-Americans will stand united and will work to eliminate all systems of racism and discrimination,” Jozef said.
Cherfilus-McCormick is also likely to be on the ballot again with some of her primary opponents on the August 23 Democratic primary, the regularly scheduled election for this House seat.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 8:34 PM.
