Three candidates seek to unseat Wasserman Schultz in U.S. House District 25 race

One Democratic candidate and two Republicans are hoping to unseat entrenched incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the newly configured District 25 race.

What was known as District 23, is now 25 after redistricting. The district now encompasses Weston, Hollywood, Davie, Southwest Ranches, Cooper City, Plantation and parts of Pembroke Pines, Miramar and Hallandale Beach.

Wasserman Schultz is seeking her 10th term in Congress. She serves on two important House committees: Appropriations and Oversight and Reform. Her official website is wassermanschultz.house.gov.

Her Democratic primary opponent, Robert Millwee, said Wasserman Schultz has been in office for too long, and has gotten too comfortable in her role.

Millwee, a 37-year-old public accountant, moved to Hollywood from Boston, 10 years ago. Millwee is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and affordable housing, foreign trade and climate change are some of the issues he said he would concentrate on if he were elected. He said the way COVID-19 was handled made him want to run for office.

“What’s going to eventually happen is the younger generation is going to be converted into permanent renters, and nobody is even talking about this,” Millwee said. “Your children will never be able to afford to buy a house if this trend continues.”

Millwee doesn’t have a political background. As a millennial, he said there isn’t a lot of representation from his age group, and it’s concerning for the younger generation.

“They are creating laws that they don’t even have to live with,” Millwee said. “If you’re 70, 80 years old in office, you don’t have to live with the laws that are being made. We do.”

Wasserman Schultz is 55.

Millwee has raised $18,907, and spent $16,601. He has a campaign website.

Wasserman Schultz, a Weston resident, has a long political history. She was first elected to the U.S. House in 2005, and previously served in the Florida House and Senate. She chaired the Democratic National Committee from 2011 until 2016.

Her campaign spokesman, David Damron, wrote in an email that Wasserman Schultz said the race isn’t about her opponents; it’s about doing the hard work in Congress and getting results for South Florida.

Damron wrote that Wasserman Schultz said if she is reelected, her focus will remain on cutting health and energy costs, protecting children and seniors, and delivering projects and services. She said although the district’s shape changed slightly, the needs remain the same as her last one.

“They want a fighter for lower health, prescription and energy costs, and someone who will protect women’s rights, fight racial inequities, protect our environment, promote economic security and make sure we keep this pandemic at bay.”

Damron wrote that Wasserman Schultz also said extremist Republican attacks on democracy and women’s rights need to be addressed.

Wasserman Schultz has raised over $1.2 million, and spent $840,258.

Two Republican candidates

In the Republican primary, Carla Spalding is opposing Rubin Young.

Spalding, a registered nurse, won the 2020 Republican nomination but lost to Wasserman Schultz in the general election, receiving about 42% of the vote. Spalding also ran for the Republican nomination in 2018 but only received about 22% of the vote, and Joe Kaufman opposed Wasserman Schultz in the general election.

Spalding did not respond to requests for information about her campaign.

Spalding has raised $1,334,099 and spent $1,269,123. She has a campaign Facebook account.

Rubin Young, a 61-year-old veteran from Miami, said he is running because he is an America-first candidate.

As a pro-life, pro-gun and pro-God Republican candidate, Young wrote in an email, he would be fully committed to the “unadulterated U.S. Constitution and the rules of law.” Although he is a former Democrat, he said he will win because the race isn’t about politics for him, it’s about people.

“We need real street fighters elected to Congress, someone who possesses real common sense street fighting leadership,” Young wrote in an email. “A person who will show a much stronger commitment and dedication to serving WE THE PEOPLE in Washington, D.C.”

Young said he has over 30 years of supporting and campaigning for public office in Florida and other states. He said in 2016, he was elected to the Miami-Dade Democratic Committee, and in 2021, was elected for the Miami-Dade Republican Committee.

Young has raised $16,480, and spent $16,456. He has a campaign website.

This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 6:32 PM.