A Call for Unity in District 20

Florida redrew the lines on the map. But they did not redraw the people. District 20 is still

District 20 — the same families, the same struggles, the same hope. Now that the primary is behind us, I want to talk to you about what happened, and about what comes next, the same way I talk to people at the kitchen table.

What the Primary Showed Us

According to Bill Barrow's reporting for the Associated Press, District 20 is 42% Black, with a large Haitian American community, and it is a district that has elected Black representatives to Congress since 1992. Four strong Black candidates ran in this primary. Four. And because the vote was split four ways, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was able to come out ahead.

I am not writing this to question anybody's heart or anybody's intention. Every candidate in that primary ran because they love this community and wanted to serve it. But I have to say the truth plainly: when a community's vote is divided four ways, the community's voice gets weaker, not stronger. That is not anybody's fault. That is just math. And now, in November, we have a chance to do something about it.

Why Unity Matters Now

I did not learn District 20's struggles from a briefing book. I lived them. I know them. I came to this country from Haiti at 18 years old with nothing. I was cleaning restaurants for $2.50 an hour. I was cutting grass on a golf course for $4.50 an hour, in the hot sun, sweating, a student who never worked a day in his life back home. I worked three jobs at one time to raise my family. I know what it is to open a prescription bill for $800 and feel your stomach drop, even when you have insurance.

For 30 years, I have sat at people's kitchen tables in this exact district. Not for a photo. For real. Helping families with their immigration paperwork, helping them through tax season, helping them through crisis, because that is my ministry, and now I want it to be my service in Washington too.

That is why I am reaching out — directly, personally — to the candidates who ran in this primary and to every single voter who stood behind them. Your voice mattered in that primary. It still matters now. And in November, District 20 has one more chance to come together, not split apart.

A Message to the Voters Who Supported the Other Candidates

If you voted for one of the four candidates who ran against Rep. Wasserman Schultz in the primary, I want you to hear this clearly: I am not asking you to abandon what you believe in. I am asking you to bring it with you. Bring your voice, bring your vote, and bring your hope for a representative who is shaped by this district's daily life — and let's put it all in one place in November.

District 20 has seen too much chaos already. Representatives who show up during election season and then disappear the moment they are sworn in. We are tired of that. We deserve better than that. And we will not get better than that by staying divided.

Why I'm Running

I am running because I believe a representative should be of the district, not just assigned to it by a map. I am not a politician. I have been a servant all my life — in my business, in my church, in my community — and now I want to bring that same service to Washington. Service over politics. Solutions over promises. That is my deal, and I will not disappear on you.

Call to Action

In the coming days, our campaign will be releasing a formal statement calling on District 20 to unite behind one candidate this November — a candidate who lives here, prays here, and has served here for 30 years. I am asking every voter, every pastor, every neighbor, and yes, every candidate who ran in this primary, to join us.

Follow the movement at maximeforcongress.com, and watch for our upcoming press release. Together, one voice, one district, one vote at a time.

Source and Attribution

Barrow, Bill. "In Florida, Wasserman Schultz sparks a debate over what representation means in diverse districts." Associated Press, August 17, 2026.