Jeffries declines endorsement of Schultz in Florida primary

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has declined to endorse a member of his own leadership team, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in her contested Florida primary, highlighting a significant rift within the Democratic Party over race, representation, and redistricting. Jeffries made the remarks on Tuesday, June 2, when asked about Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run for reelection in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, a plurality-Black seat.

Wasserman Schultz, a longtime incumbent and former Democratic National Committee chair, entered the race after a new Republican-drawn congressional map made her current district significantly less favorable for a Democrat. The 20th District, based in Fort Lauderdale and represented by a Black lawmaker for over three decades, is now considered safely Democratic. Her move has drawn sharp criticism from local Black leaders and several Black candidates who argue the seat should continue to be held by a person of color, especially amid national Republican efforts to dismantle majority-minority districts.

Jeffries acknowledged the sensitivity of the situation, citing what he called an "unprecedented, Jim Crow-like assault on Black political...