Elijah Manley is running in a crowded Democratic Primary for Florida’s 20th District, where redistricting has upended a district that has been represented by Black lawmakers for decades.
The new boundaries pit incumbent U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz against former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from Congress in April amid an ethics investigation but quickly refiled to win back her seat. Luther Campbell and Dale Holness are also running in the Democratic Primary.
Three Republicans and an independent are also running, though the Broward County-based district is one of the most heavily Democratic in Florida.
Florida Politics asked all candidates to answer a few questions. We are publishing their responses unedited so voters can hear directly from candidates. Here’s what Manley told us:
— Profession: I have been a middle school educator for the past two years. As a teenager, I started a small landscaping business and knocked on doors across our neighborhoods to help my mother pay the bills and to buy my own school supplies.
— Education: I studied History at the University of Maryland Global Campus
— Years in the district: I was born and raised in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk neighborhood.
— Community involvement: I was raised by a hardworking single mother on Section 8 housing, food stamps, and Medicaid. My family lived through chronic homelessness and food insecurity. There were nights when we did not know where we would sleep. I know what it is to go to school hungry and to do my homework at the public library because the power had been shut off at home. I am running so that the next child growing up in Sistrunk or Lauderhill never has to carry that weight, because I have carried it myself and I know exactly what our families are up against.
— Why are you running? What are your top priorities? I grew up in Florida’s historic Sistrunk neighborhood, where my family’s struggles with poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity not only shaped who I am, but why I have dedicated my life to public service. My experiences may be unique to me, but the struggles behind them are not. Across my district and throughout this country, families are struggling to pay rent, put food on the table, and afford life’s basic necessities. That is why I’m running for Congress — to fight for an economy that finally works for working people. Throughout my career, I’ve advocated for working families, organized our communities, educated our youth, and continuously fought for change across all levels of government. While corporations have thrived, working people have struggled. Too many of the problems everyday people deal with — from the cost of living, housing, healthcare, climate change — cannot be solved without someone willing to push back against politics as usual. South Florida deserves a representative who understands these challenges from personal experience, not from talking points. That perspective will guide every vote I cast and every fight I take on in Congress.
— What are the biggest issues facing residents of this district? Florida’s 20th Congressional District faces deep, interconnected challenges that demand bold, people-centered leadership. From the rising cost of living and housing crisis to healthcare access, climate change, and attacks on fair representation, residents deserve a government that responds to their needs rather than protecting entrenched interests.
Affordability: South Florida has become one of the nation’s least affordable regions, not simply because of housing costs, but because everyday expenses like insurance, groceries, transportation, and utilities continue to rise faster than wages. Working families are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet. All residents in FL-20 deserve to thrive, and corporate Democrats are not doing enough to address their suffering. I support policies that strengthen workers’ rights, raise wages, expand the Child Tax Credit, lower prescription drug costs, and make it easier for working families.
Affordable Housing: My district suffers from a severe affordable housing shortage. While roughly 25% of my district falls in the lowest income bracket, the average rent for a 2 bedroom home requires a $64,000 income. South Florida has one of the fastest rising living costs in the country, meaning more people will continue to be priced out of their homes. As someone who grew up in and out of homelessness, I understand this problem from lived experience. When elected, I will find the solutions necessary to alleviate the pains from a system working against us. That includes expanding the low-income housing tax credit and rental assistance, and increasing funding for the construction of affordable housing.
Healthcare: While the people of FL-20 struggle with the rising costs for goods, services, and housing; so many are unable to afford adequate healthcare. The cuts to Medicare and Medicaid have been detrimental to my district, this problem requires radical change, not short term fixes. I will work tirelessly to restore and expand medicaid and medicare access, and from the first day to my last day in congress, I will continue to fight for universal healthcare for every person in this country.
Climate change: Florida is no stranger to the perils of climate change. Rising sea levels, extreme weather, and the loss of our marine life due to lifted protections on pollution and hunting. Broward is one of the most vulnerable counties in the country when it comes to climate change. This issue isn’t separate, it’s intersectional. Directly contributing to the affordability crisis across our country. I will support restoring the everglades, expanding renewable energy, and investing in infrastructure to mitigate the harms of extreme weather and flooding; all of which will work to create well-paying jobs for the people in my district.
Free and Fair Representation: Across Florida and the rest of the country, Republican attacks on black and brown representation work to directly disenfranchise the voices of millions of Americans. Our democracy is strongest when everyone has a voice, and I will stand with my community to ensure it is heard when I am elected.
— What’s one bill you’d like to introduce in Congress? As someone who grew up experiencing homelessness, my first bill would look to establish a right to legal representation for those facing eviction. Among other things, I hold the strong belief that housing is a human right, and landlords cannot be allowed to remove those from their homes without legal basis. I will support the broader Civil Gideon movement, seeking to guarantee legal representation in cases where basic human needs are at stake, especially those involving housing and eviction proceedings. Alongside this, I will work to build stronger tenant protections, eviction prevention programs, rental assistance, and an increase in the availability of more affordable places to live.
— Democrats blame Donald Trump for inflation, Republicans blame the lingering effects of the Joe Biden administration, while Americans just want their prices to go down. What can Congress do to ease the cost of living for working families? During the Great Depression, our country didn’t wait for the private market to solve the unemployment problem. They built lasting programs that provided work opportunities for those who needed them. In times of great distress, it is the government’s job to provide the people with what they need. A national employment guarantee is the first step towards ensuring Americans can fulfill their right to work. With crumbling infrastructure coast to coast, we find ourselves at a unique moment where Government provided jobs can not just benefit the people in our communities, but the infrastructure which they use everyday. The last time the federal minimum wage was raised was in 2009. Since then, consumer prices have increased by more than 50%, while the federal minimum wage has remained frozen at just $7.25 an hour. To combat the rising costs of everyday goods, Congress must get back on track and push for fair wages. By raising the minimum wage to $20 an hour, Americans will have more financial freedom to pay for necessities. Alongside sweeping healthcare and tax reform, people will have the opportunity to not just contribute to our economy, but share in its prosperity.
— Do you believe AI will ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates, or should government slow its adoption to protect existing workers? What AI regulations or guardrails, if any, do you support? I support responsible AI infrastructure, but working families cannot be forced to foot the bill. We must ensure protections are in place prior to the buildout of these facilities. Under the Trump Administration, we have seen a rapid expansion of data centers across the country. Higher electricity costs, strained public infrastructure, and negative environmental effects are some of the consequences people in communities across the country have been forced to reckon with. Marginalized groups, communities of color, and lower-income individuals have shouldered the greatest share of this burden. Communities are too often promised economic opportunity, only to be left with higher costs and lasting impacts. Without adjustments and proper planning, this will continue. While AI is here to stay, Congress has a responsibility to ensure its growth does not come at the expense of working families. Companies that profit from these facilities should bear the costs they impose on our electric grid, public infrastructure, and local communities. We need enforceable safeguards before approving new projects, not after the damage has already been done.
— Americans frequently complain about the cost and complexity of our healthcare system. What realistic solutions do you propose? For too long, insurance companies have controlled the access and quality of care available. In congress, I will cosponsor medicare for all. Holding the belief that healthcare is a human right, insurance companies can no longer expect to dictate what access and quality of care people are able to receive. In my district, 17% of residents are uninsured, and this number grows everyday. Under this administration, Medicare and Medicaid funding has been slashed across the board. I will join alongside other lawmakers to ensure Medicare and Medicaid funding is restored and advocate for further expansion.
— How should we counter China’s growing influence and power, and what can we do to ensure America retains its technological, military and economic advantages? I believe the United States must stand with our allies, it is imperative that our foreign policy is acted out alongside our partners. The dispute with Taiwan is one of the many conflicts born following the second world war. I believe supporting Taiwan’s sovereignty is necessary as advocates of democracy across the world. Rather than encouraging an escalation, we must support measures of deterrence. This conflict is over 70 years old, and the stalemate will continue without violent outcomes as long as Taiwan has our backing. In order to compete with the Chinese economically, the United States needs to lead in the development of AI.
— With regard to ending the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, what should America’s goals and approach be? I believe in supporting our allies abroad, especially regarding protecting the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion is a blatant violation of international law and Americans must look to support their military and defensive needs. I support continued military aid to Ukraine, and sanctions on Russia. We must also protect every inch of NATO territory, including the territory of our close friend and ally, Poland. I also believe that supporting the Iranian people in their fight for freedom is key, but that support must be measured. As a proponent of the JCPOA, I believe President Trump’s insensible decision to end this program has been detrimental to the Iranian people and to regional stability as a whole. Iran should not hold nuclear weapons, but the solution cannot be unilateral military action, but the use of strong diplomacy and smart negotiation.
— Would you vote to continue funding Israel’s defense? Are there any conditions you want to impose on that funding? I would not vote for continued aid to Israel, as long as it violates international law and human rights. U.S. law already forbids arming forces that violate international humanitarian law. We have simply refused to enforce it against Israel. I will fight to end all military funding to Israel. I will push this administration and every one after it to apply the Leahy Law and the Foreign Assistance Act to Israel exactly as they are applied to everyone else, with transparent vetting and real consequences. Our human rights laws must bind every recipient of American aid, or they are worth nothing.
— The House recently voted to adopt year-round daylight saving time. How would you have voted? This is lower on the totem pole of things that are a priority to me. However, I would vote to adopt year-round daylight savings time. It never really made any sense.
— Has the Democratic Party moved too far left in recent years, or is this the direction Democratic voters want? The idea that the Democratic Party has moved too far left is a right wing talking point, and no Democrat should validate it. The truth is: the Republican Party has moved too far right — embracing election denialism, cruelty to immigrants and the poor, extreme racism and xenophobia, antisemitism, anti-Democracy, and outright hatred. It is a party that wholly operates for the benefit of billionaires and extremists. The Democratic Party is a big tent party with flaws, and that’s okay. What some call extreme, we believe is what the American people demand. A future where we fight for working people and not billionaires.
— Why are you the best nominee to win this seat in November? Although this seat is a safe Democratic seat in November, I believe that I am the best Democrat to nominate because I can bring people into the party, and I have the strongest crossover appeal. On the campaign trail, I have met countless individuals who left the Democratic Party a long time ago, who reregistered with the party this year just to vote for me in the primaries. I enjoy an extensive amount of support from Republican and Independent voters who like my civil libertarian views, and my populist rhetoric. That would be an asset in the general election, and could only help the party. My opponents won’t excite anybody into wanting to come vote in November. In fact, they are liabilities for the rest of the ticket. Debbie Wasserman Schultz bleeds votes from the party. She is a polarizing figure. We need Democrats that can increase turnout in general elections and build broad coalitions from the unlikeliest of people. I am that guy.
