Six Haitian Candidates on Florida's Aug. 18 Primary Ballot
Haitian and Haitian American contenders compete for governor and South Florida congressional seats 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, The Haitian Times reported. The candidates span both major parties, with several running in South Florida districts that include some of the state's largest Haitian communities. Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning voters generally may vote only in the primary of the party with which they are registered. In District 20, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — the first Haitian American Democrat elected to Congress, in 2022 — is seeking a return in a crowded Democratic primary. She resigned in April 2026 shortly before a House Ethics Committee hearing over allegations she misused federal disaster relief funds, and 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, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime and physician Rudolph Moise are among seven Democrats vying to succeed retiring Rep. Frederica Wilson. State Rep. Dotie Joseph, born in Haiti, is running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. According to The Haitian Times, District 24 includes Little Haiti, North Miami and Miami Gardens.