Prayers and politics: Campaigns to succeed Rep. Wilson launch from the pulpit
The 10-week sprint to become the Democratic nominee to succeed South Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson is officially underway after two leading candidates — both pastors’ sons — chose the preacher’s pulpit to pitch themselves as deeply rooted in the community and the best standard-bearer of her legacy.
County commissioner and former Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert launched his campaign Sunday at the Black megachurch Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, the same hallowed location as the funeral of Wilson’s predecessor, Carrie Meek.
On the other side of Florida’s Turnpike at Koinonia Worship Center in Pembroke Park, state Sen. Shevrin Jones gave his pitch at his father’s church for carrying on Wilson’s torch on Tuesday. State Rep. Ashley Gantt, who is running to fill Jones’ Senate seat, gave a reference to the book of Daniel and the three sons who were thrown into the fire for refusing to bow before the king.
“When I thought about what we do in Tallahassee, that will directly translate to D.C., because you are standing in the fire,” she told a crowd of at least 200 people. “You will come out unscathed, because your integrity, your truth, your advocacy for justice is what will keep you protected, and of course, y’all’s prayers too.”
The campaign launches represent a turning point in South Florida politics, at a time when Florida’s 24th District is one of a shrinking number of Black-majority districts in the South after sweeping Republican gerrymandering efforts this year with a strong legacy of accessible community-first leadership.
The changing tides also come as the district faces affordability issues and access to healthcare, concerns both candidates raised in their stump speeches along with their homegrown roots.
At Antioch, Gilbert gave a 10-minute campaign speech focused on his ties to Miami Gardens — garnering the loudest applause from the thousands of congregants when he acknowledged Wilson’s “extraordinary service” — before longtime pastor Reverend Arthur Jackson, III walked up behind him as a subtle hint to wrap it up.
Jackson’s own sermon echoed the political moment motivating Gilbert’s run. He spoke of the biblical story of how Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land after the death of their leader Moses, who Jackson at one point called “the legislator among them.”
“Everybody that serves a purpose for your life is not meant to be permanent in your life. Moses served his purpose,” Jackson told the congregation Sunday. “But thank God, every person that God takes from us, he’ll give somebody to you.”
Gilbert told the Miami Herald in a wide-ranging interview after the service that the changing-of-the-guard overtones of the sermon after Wilson’s 15 years in Congress weren’t lost on him. He pointed to the verse Jackson highlighted at the end of the sermon, in which Joshua received the same promise God made to Moses that he’d inherit every place “the sole of your foot” treads.
He said the history of Florida’s 24th District is also top of mind in his race.
“This is the seat that’s been the voice for young boys throughout not just this community, not just this county, but this country. It’s been the seat that talked about workforce and education,” Gilbert told the Herald. “It’s the seat that’s championed the rights of how young girls in Africa are being treated, and how Haitian refugees are being treated. This is that seat. So you’ve got to take it very seriously.”
At Jones’ church Tuesday, before a gathering that included his parents, congregants, supporters, and a handful of South Florida legislators, Jones said he intends to address the needs and well-being of families in the district.
“Leadership is not about titles, it’s not about status or applause. I have always made sure that leadership was about people, and I want to be clear tonight, while my faith grounds me, my commitment is to serve every family in this district,” he said.
Community ties and political track records to run on
Jones is running on a statewide record that spans 14 years and has included championing legislation such as the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, requiring Florida law enforcement agencies to have policies for body-camera usage, and most recently the passing of the Teddy Bridgewater Act, a law that allows high school coaches to financially help student athletes when needed.
The Carol City native has also grown a national profile and has been critical of Florida’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion legislation. In 2022, he made an emphatic plea for the state Legislature to refuse passage of the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics dubbed the “Don’t say Gay” bill because it restricted discussions about gender identity and sexuality in classrooms.
He said he’s well-aware of the pressing needs of the district, citing affordability, economic opportunity, healthcare and education among them. ”People are working hard,” he said. “Housing costs, insurance premiums, and groceries, and everyday expenses are making it harder and harder for people to get ahead.”
Gilbert has pointed to his authorship of the county’s SMART rapid mass transit plan, increasing the number of parks as Miami Gardens mayor and efforts to empower entrepreneurs as evidence of his ability to deliver wins in the district.
“I’m not one of those elected officials that just came when they were campaigning. The people in Miami-Dade County, especially, people in [Commission] District One, especially, they are very familiar, because I never left,” he said.
Gilbert was back in Miami Gardens this weekend fresh off of an unadvertised, county-funded trip to Italy last week where he had a brief, one-on-one audience with Pope Leo XIV. He said he told the pope he was “proud of him” even though Gilbert isn’t Catholic, and that he saw their shared values in uniting people, not dividing them.
That’s exactly what he’ll need to do to win the vote after fighting controversial battles over development on the county commission — a nonpartisan position that can put politicians in more intra party conflict than being in the Democratic minority in Tallahassee with a common Republican enemy. Gilbert pitched his campaign to the Herald as an extension of his work as Miami Gardens mayor and county commissioner.
“I never left the community. I’ve been at parks. I’ve been at homeowner association meetings. I’ve been at cities associations,” he said. “I’ve been having the conversations that are shaping the ideas in this campaign the whole time: The conversation about affordability, affordability of housing, affordability of healthcare, affordability of gas, food, groceries.”
Gilbert is entering the race with less of a statewide and national profile than Jones, but has emphasized his deep local ties to carry him through.
“I hang out in Miramar Regional Park sometimes. I shop in Aventura. I go to Walmart and Publix — I’m a lot more interested in what they think than people in Washington,” he said of Jones’ national profile as a former Joe Biden surrogate.
He also is starting the sprint to primary day with far more cash in the bank than Jones: He is transferring more than $1 million from his state campaign political committee to a super PAC to support his congressional campaign. He also raised $250k in the first week after filing his paperwork to run, his campaign announced Tuesday.
Jones said he is not concerned with how much Gilbert has raised, emphasizing campaigns are won by connecting with people and earning their trust. “My focus is not on my opponent’s bank account,” he said. “My focus is on the families who are worried about the cost of living and looking for someone who will fight for them in Washington.”
He announced Wednesday he had raised $100k in 24 hours.
During Tuesday’s kickoff, Jones doubled down on what it will take to win this race: “I know how to build coalitions, I know how to bring people together, I know how to fight when the odds say sit down, because I realize that leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about showing up, it’s about doing the work, and it’s about delivering the results.”
Endorsements play a key role
Other candidates who’ve filed for the race include physician Rudolph Moise, former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime and repeat candidate Christine Sanon-Jules. Gilbert and Jones have the highest political profiles and name recognition heading into the August 18 primary.
Before parishioners departed from Antioch Sunday, Pastor Jackson made clear he was choosing Gilbert, an endorsement made possible by a change in IRS rules last year for religious institutions.
“I know others in the race and I’m supporting Oliver. He’s my friend, my brother, he’s a member of our church,” he said from the pulpit, with other local politicians State Representative Felicia Robinson and Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris also in the building.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava endorsed Gilbert Wednesday, marking his highest profile endorsement yet.
“I have seen firsthand his commitment and his ability to get things done. Oliver was born and raised in the community he now seeks to represent in Congress, and will be a fighter for the residents of Congressional District 24,” she wrote in a statement.
Jones has secured two high-profile local endorsements from Sybrina Fulton, the activist and mother of Trayvon Martin who Gilbert ran against to win his county commission seat, and former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan, who held the District 1 seat prior to Gilbert.
“I don’t come out for just any frivolous thing,” said Fulton. “I’m here for something that’s important, for somebody that I believe in, for somebody who will stand up for the people, for somebody who will put people over profit.”
Jordan on Tuesday pointed to Jones’ legislation for incarcerated women. “When I think about the things that he’s done, I think about how he cares for the people, how he puts himself out there for the people. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are.”
But if the applause for any mentions of Wilson at both events is any indication, her endorsement will likely carry more weight than any local pastor or leader. She has not committed to a candidate yet.
“She’s a staple in this community,” Jones echoed. “Her endorsement is a huge deal for some people. You can’t take that away.”
“I love Frederica, everybody wants her endorsement,” Gilbert said.
This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 12:25 PM.
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