Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s days serving Florida’s 20th district appear to be numbered. There are a growing number of calls to resign, many from within her own Democratic Party. The bipartisan U.S. House Ethics subcommittee found Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 counts of misconduct. The charges say she funneled millions of dollars from federal relief funds into her campaign.

When members return from spring break, they are expected to vote to expel her. After the hearing, Cherfilus-McCormick said, “I look forward to proving my innocence.” But it may be too late. Many Democrats are calling on her to resign and it looks like there may be enough votes, 292, to remove. That would require about 75 Democrats to join all Republicans. 

OutSFL reached out to local Democrats for their opinions. Kristen Browde, President of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, said, “It doesn’t matter what party you’re in. If you’re engaged in corruption, you don’t belong in any government position. But that applies equally to Republicans, and Trump just pardons them.” 

Alfredo Olvera, President of the Dolphin Democrats, said, “We are aware of the recent findings involving Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. These are serious allegations and developments that deserve a thorough and fair process. As an organization, the Dolphin Democrats respect due process and believe accountability is essential at every level of government. We will continue to monitor the situation closely as it moves through both the ethics and legal proceedings.” 

Elijah Manley is challenging her in the primary, and issued a statement saying, “At this juncture, the congresswoman was found guilty by a bipartisan committee of her peers in the House of serious misconduct and must resign from Congress immediately.” 

If she is expelled or resigns and a special election is held, Manley says he’ll run a concurrent campaign to finish her term. 

Cherfilus-McCormick could still run to reclaim her seat and win. District 20 seems to have a strong indifference to scandal. In the 1980s, Alcee Hastings was investigated, impeached and removed from his seat as a Federal Judge. He was acquitted in a trial. 

He was elected to Congress in 1992 and served until his death in 2021. After his death, Cherfilus-McCormick won a special-election primary by only five votes, but has gone on to landslides since.