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
Incumbent
Assumed office January 18, 2022
Preceded by	Alcee Hastings
Personal details
Born	Sheila Cherfilus (1979-01-25) January 25, 1979 (age 45) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Corlie McCormick ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2
Education	Howard University (BA) St. Thomas University (JD)

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (/ˈʃɜːrfɪləs/ shur-FILL-əss; born January 25, 1979) is an American businesswoman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 20th congressional district. Her district covers most of the Black-majority areas in and around Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. A member of the Democratic Party, she won a special election in 2022 to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Alcee Hastings.

Early life and career

Cherfilus-McCormick was born in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, to parents from Haiti and raised in the borough of Queens. She moved to Florida at 13 to attend high school. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from Howard University and a Juris Doctor from the St. Thomas University School of Law.

After graduating from college, Cherfilus-McCormick served as a project manager for the New York City Transit Authority. From 1999 to 2007, she worked as the vice president for operations of Trinity Health Care Services, a Florida-based family home health care company co-founded by her stepfather, Gabriel Smith. She later served as CEO.

U.S. House of Representatives

Tenure

Cherfilus-McCormick is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

On December 27, 2023, the House Ethics Committee announced that it was investigating Cherfilus-McCormick over complaints that she may have violated campaign finance laws, failed to submit required disclosures and carried out improper hiring practices. Cherfilus-McCormick has denied the allegations.

Elections

2018

Cherfilus-McCormick ran for Florida's 20th congressional district in the August 28 Democratic primary against incumbent Alcee Hastings in 2018. She lost, 73.6%–26.4%.

2020

Cherfilus-McCormick challenged Hastings again in 2020. She noted various ethics concerns facing Hastings and his health as reasons for running. She lost the August 18 primary, 69.3%–30.7%.

2022 special

After Hastings died on April 6, 2021, Cherfilus-McCormick ran again in the 20th district in the 2022 special election. During the campaign, she loaned $3.7 million to her campaign organization. She campaigned on progressive policies such as a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and a $1,000-a-month universal basic income. Her campaign was supported by Brand New Congress, a progressive organization that also backed candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib.

After a recount, Cherfilus-McCormick was declared the winner of the Democratic primary by five votes over Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness in an upset. She easily defeated Republican Jason Mariner in the January 11, 2022, general election. She is the only Haitian-American Democrat ever elected to Congress and only the second overall, after Republican Mia Love of Utah.

2022 regular election

Following her narrow margin of victory in the special election, Cherfilus-McCormick was again challenged by Holness for the regular election. Cherfilus-McCormick handily defeated Holness in the August Democratic primary, 66%-27% with another 6% going to Anika Omphroy. Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Republican nominee Drew Montez-Clark with 72% of the vote during the November election, and she started her first full term in Congress on January 3, 2023.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:

• 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 (Ranking Member)

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Black Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus

Political positions

Cherfilus-McCormick voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis. Cherfilus-McCormick voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Personal life

Cherfilus-McCormick married lawyer Corlie McCormick in 2017 and lives in Miramar, Florida.

Cherfilus-McCormick is Protestant.

Electoral history

2018

2020

2022

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives