Jacob Ogles
Progressive active Elijah Manley announced he raised more than $275,000 to challenge U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in a Democratic Primary.
The Fort Lauderdale Democrat said his campaign for Florida’s 20th Congressional District, which launched in February, received more than 11,000 donors, with contributions from every state and Washington, D.C.
The fundraising haul comes as Cherfilus-McCormick faces an expanded investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
“South Florida’s working families are getting squeezed more every day. Our campaign is showing we have the momentum to fight for and win a better future,” Manley said.
“While my opponent defends her political career amidst a state lawsuit and a congressional ethics investigation, we are building a grassroots movement across Broward and Palm Beach to elect the working-class champion South Floridians deserve.”
Manley’s full fundraising report has not yet been made public through the Federal Election Commission. He is the first candidate to announce totals in the race.
Cherfilus-McCormick also faces a challenge from Republican Rodenay Joseph, who has previously run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. He changed parties last year before endorsing U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in the General Election.
Last election cycle, Cherfilus-McCormick won re-election without opposition. She raised almost $632,000 but spent much of that, including paying off a $135,000 candidate loan. At the end of the year, she had just over $7,500 in the bank.
As a sitting incumbent, Cherfilus-McCormick likely has access to financial resources from Washington. Manley expects the controversy around Cherfilus-McCormick to make her vulnerable to a challenge.
“The incumbent’s political and legal scandals have robbed District 20 voters of our voice in Congress for years,” Manley said. “It’s time to end the national embarrassment of a corrupt healthcare CEO representing this seat in Congress. I’m not afraid of standing up to entrenched power, and that’s exactly what District 20 will need to make real change in Washington.”
