Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 20th district |
|
| Assumed office January 18, 2022 |
|
| Preceded by | Alcee Hastings |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sheila Cherfilus
January 25, 1979 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Corlie McCormick
(m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Howard University (BA) St. Thomas University (JD) |
| Website | |
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, born on January 25, 1979, is an American businesswoman and politician. She serves as a U.S. Representative for Florida's 20th congressional district. This district includes many areas around Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. She is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2022, she won a special election to fill the seat after the death of Alcee Hastings.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was born in Brooklyn, a part of New York City. Her parents came from Haiti. She grew up in Queens, another borough of New York City. When she was 13, she moved to Florida for high school.
She went to Howard University and earned a degree in political science. Later, she studied law at the St. Thomas University School of Law.
Early Career
After college, Cherfilus-McCormick worked as a project manager for the New York City Transit Authority. From 1999 to 2007, she was the vice president of operations for Trinity Health Care Services. This was a family business in Florida that provided home health care. She later became the CEO of the company.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She also serves on important committees in the House of Representatives. These include the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In December 2023, the House Ethics Committee announced they were looking into some complaints about her. These complaints were about her campaign and work practices. Cherfilus-McCormick has said that these complaints are not true.
Elections to Congress
2018 and 2020 Elections
Cherfilus-McCormick first ran for Congress in 2018. She challenged the person who held the seat at the time, Alcee Hastings. She ran again in 2020, but she did not win either of these elections.
2022 Special Election
After Alcee Hastings passed away in April 2021, a special election was held for his seat. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick decided to run again. During her campaign, she supported ideas like a Green New Deal and Medicare for All. She also suggested a $1,000-a-month universal basic income.
She won the Democratic primary election by only five votes after a recount. This was a big surprise! Then, she easily won the general election in January 2022. She became the only Haitian-American Democrat ever elected to Congress.
2022 Regular Election
After winning the special election, Cherfilus-McCormick ran for the regular election in 2022. She won the Democratic primary again, defeating Dale Holness. In November, she won the general election with 72% of the votes. She started her first full term in Congress in January 2023.
Committee Roles
For the 118th Congress, she serves on:
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Africa
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Subcommittee on Technology Modernization (She is the Ranking Member here, meaning she is the lead member of the minority party.)
Groups She Belongs To
She is part of several groups in Congress, including:
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
Political Views
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick often votes in agreement with President Joe Biden's positions. For example, she voted to support Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack.
Personal Life
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick married Corlie McCormick, who is a lawyer, in 2017. They live in Miramar, Florida. They have two children together. She is a Protestant.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
