Six Haitian Candidates on Florida's Aug. 18 Primary Ballot
Haitian and Haitian American candidates are competing for governor and congressional seats in South Florida as voters head to the polls Tuesday.
At least six Haitian and Haitian American candidates are running in contested Florida primaries on Aug. 18, including races for governor and U.S. House districts 20 and 24, according to The Haitian Times. Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning voters generally may vote only in the primary of the party with which they are registered.
Former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is seeking a return to Congress in a crowded Democratic primary for District 20. She became the first Haitian American Democrat elected to Congress after a 2022 special election but resigned in April 2026, shortly before a House Ethics Committee hearing related to allegations she misused federal disaster relief funds. She has denied wrongdoing. Also in District 20, U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Rod Joseph is seeking the Republican nomination.
In District 24, where U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson is retiring, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime and physician Rudolph Moise are among the Democrats running. The district includes Little Haiti, North Miami and Miami Gardens.
State Rep. Dotie Joseph, born in Haiti and representing House District 108 since 2018, is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. The report says the candidates span both major parties.