Former Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from Congress after an embezzlement scandal, appears to be running for reelection.
The Democrat, who stepped down after being accused of stealing $5 million in federal disaster relief funds and funneling some of the money into her political campaigns, has qualified to appear on the ballot once again, according to state election records.
Well, @CongresswomanSC has officially qualified as a candidate in CD 20. pic.twitter.com/BF4schEEQQ
— Jacob Ogles (@jacobogles) June 11, 2026
The Florida Division of Elections’ Candidate Tracking System lists Cherfilus-McCormick as “qualified,” meaning she successfully completed the state’s qualification requirements and is officially on the ballot. “Active” status indicates that a candidate has filed to run but has not yet completed the ballot qualification process.
One of her opponents, Elijah Manley, questioned her ability to pay the $10,000 filing fee while carrying millions of dollars in campaign debt.
Sheila has $4.4 million in campaign debt, but somehow found $10k to pay the filing fee. 🤔 What are her priorities? Staying out of federal prison or spoiling the race with her vanity run? https://t.co/KnkFMAkQlz
— Elijah Manley (@iElijahManley) June 11, 2026
Cherfilus-McCormick did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire. The most recent public statement from her congressional office was her resignation announcement in April. However, she reportedly told NBC 6 South Florida that she intends to seek reelection despite her legal troubles.
“I never shied away from a fight, and my team has always said, ‘We’re ready,’ and we are ready to fight and win,” Cherfilus-McCormick told NBC 6 South Florida.
Without directly denying the allegations, she added, “That’s exactly what they are, allegations.”
Federal prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, conspired to steal $5 million in FEMA disaster relief funds intended for recovery efforts following natural disasters. According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Miami, the pair allegedly routed the money through multiple accounts to conceal its origin.
The indictment further alleges that they funneled money to friends and family members, who then made campaign contributions using those funds in their own names.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” Former Attorney General Pam Bondi said following the indictment.
Just minutes before the House Ethics Committee was scheduled to vote on whether Cherfilus-McCormick should be expelled from Congress, she resigned her seat. Cherfilus-McCormick is currently facing criminal charges related to the allegations. Members of Congress are not immune from criminal prosecution, meaning that even if she is reelected, the charges against her would continue to proceed through the court system.
CBS reported four of the candidates for Florida’s District 20 had private meetings to discuss bowing out of the race to “consolidate the black vote” to defeat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the primary election. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Elijah Manley, Dale Holness, and Luther Campbell were the candidates who discussed the efforts.
“It makes it easier for her to win when the black vote is split, but I think that the strongest candidate can build a coalition to win this race,” said Manley. Holness added, “It’s a tough conversation, but the sense in the room that we should have someone with the lived experience of the majority of the people in that district was very, very strong.”
Ultimately, none of the candidates ended up bowing out, sending all four to compete against Schultz in the Democratic primary election.
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