MIAMI — Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has announced she is shifting her reelection campaign to a neighboring district with a longstanding history of being led by a Black representative — a move that immediately sparked a backlash from rivals seeking the seat and other Black elected officials.

The announcement of her run in Florida’s 20th District, in deep-blue Broward County, follows state Republicans’ rare mid-decade redistricting, which made the district Wasserman Schultz lives in more competitive for a Republican. It comes just days before qualifying is scheduled to start for the 2026 elections.

“You have always been able to count on me to deliver results for our community,” Wasserman Schultz said in a video announcement in which she touted her “seniority and clout” to help address affordability issues. The video also included interviews with Democratic elected officials and activists in the district who back her candidacy.

The district Wasserman Schultz is seeking to represent was previously held by Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from her seat in April following ethics and legal deliberations over allegations she denies that she stole federal emergency funds and routed them to her campaign.

Cherfilus-McCormick is running again. The seat was held by a Black lawmaker for more than 30 years — a fact often raised by existing CD-20 Democratic candidates, all of whom are Black, as Wasserman Schultz was weighing whether to run for the seat.