Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is a Democrat representing Florida's 20th congressional district, which covers Black-majority areas in and around Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Born January 25, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, to Haitian immigrant parents, she moved to Florida at age 13. She earned a B.A. in political science from Howard University (2001) and a J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law (2010). Before Congress, she served as CEO of Trinity Health Care Services, a family home health care company. Cherfilus-McCormick won a 2022 special election by just five votes in the Democratic primary to fill the seat left vacant by the death of longtime Rep. Alcee Hastings. She became the first Haitian-American Democrat elected to Congress. She serves on the Foreign Affairs and Veterans' Affairs committees. In November 2025, she was indicted on federal charges of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds and making illegal campaign contributions; she has pleaded not guilty.