House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) declined to endorse Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (D-Fla.) reelection bid on Tuesday, a striking departure from his standard practice of backing all incumbents regardless of controversy.
At a press conference, Jeffries said he had "not yet" decided whether to support Wasserman Schultz, who is running in Florida's 20th congressional district after Republicans redistricted her out of her current seat. The district is majority Black, and her entry into the race has sparked outrage among Black Democrats and local officials.
"Haven't made a decision as it relates to that particular race," Jeffries said. He acknowledged Wasserman Schultz's "strong track record of accomplishment" but pointed to what he called "the sensitivities of the moment" regarding what he described as "an unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on black political representation."
The withholding of support stunned Democratic colleagues accustomed to Jeffries' loyalty to his caucus. "He's never done that," one senior House Democrat told Axios. "He supports incumbents." The same lawmaker said he would "never have thought" Jeffries would take this step, even as he acknowledged the Black community was "furious" over Wasserman Schultz's decision to run in the district.
Jeffries, a member of Democratic leadership, did leave the door open for a future endorsement. He told Wasserman Schultz directly that "everybody has a right to run where they see fit," and that candidates "have got to go make their case to the people that they hope to represent moving forward."
The Democratic primary for the solidly blue seat is not fully set. With 10 days remaining until Florida's congressional filing deadline, the field could still shift. Current candidates include Wasserman Schultz, activist Elijah Manley, former Broward County Mayor Dale Holeness, rapper Luther Campbell, and former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned following an Ethics Committee investigation. The primary is scheduled for August 18.
Wasserman Schultz said in a statement she was "thankful for the strong and broad support I've received all over CD20" and would continue making her case to voters. She said she was "not taking any support for granted."
Manley suggested in his own statement that Wasserman Schultz had misrepresented the level of backing she had secured. "In several interviews with the press, DWS has said that Leader Jeffries and the CBC was supporting her," he said. "Now we're learning that isn't the full story."
Author James Rodriguez: "Jeffries' hesitation speaks volumes about how toxic this race has become for Democrats, but don't mistake restraint for a final answer, not with eight months until November."
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