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By David L. Snelling

The stakes are high for a South Florida U.S. Congressional seat during the primary election in which voters will determine the successor for a savvy and veteran lawmaker.

The race for Congressional District 24 is crowded as 10 candidates are making their last minute pitches ahead of the August 18, 2026 Democratic primary.

From TV and radio ads, public debates and political forms, the race is billed as the most competitive and expensive elections in recent years, but only one candidate will walk away with the party’s nomination to challenge the GOP in November.

Retiring U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson represented CD 24 for 16 years and nearly a dozen candidates are seeking to replace her including front runners, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III, State Senator Shevrin Jones, and attorney and Congressional legislative leader Kendrick Meek.

The district has been a Black Democratic stronghold for years and one of the few African American majority seats left after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Legislation redrew several Congressional districts.

The area covers unincorporated North Miami-Dade, Opa-locka, Miami Gardens, and portions of North Miami and Broward County.
Wilson endorsed Gilbert to be her successor during a ceremony in Miami Gardens when she literally passed him the torch.

She said he’s a fierce leader who will get the job done in Washington D.C.

Gilbert served two terms on the Miami-Dade County Commission and previously served as mayor and council member for the city of Miami Gardens.

“This is the most meaningful endorsement I could ask for,” Gilbert posted on his Instagram page. “Congresswoman Wilson has fought for this community for decades, the last 15 years in Congress doing the hard work to move our community and country forward, and she does not give her word lightly.
“She knows better than anyone what’s needed in Washington. I know what families here are up against, because I have lived it. Rent that eats half a paycheck. Healthcare people cannot afford. A commute that swallows the day. I am running to change that. Not with promises, but with work.”

However, some critics said Wilson endorsed Gilbert as a favor for renaming the Miami-Dade County Library in Miami Gardens in her honor.

Supporters of Jones, who spent over 10 years in the Florida Legislation as a senator and state Rep., said he’s the best candidate in the race and pointed to his achievements as the catalyst for representing the Congressional district in Washington D.C.

Jones, who is term-limited in Tallahassee this year, was a Senate Democratic Leader, and served as vice chair of the Senate Rules Committee and sat on several committees, including Finance and Tax, Fiscal Policy, Transportation, and Education Postsecondary.

Jones has advanced measures focused on public education, health care access, criminal justice reform, and protections for vulnerable populations.

Some of his accomplishments include legislation providing dignity and health protections for incarcerated women, the recently approved Teddy Bridgewater Act supporting student-athletes, and the Blue Envelope program aimed at improving interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism.

Jones said his accomplishments and clashes with DeSantis and other GOP leaders in the Florida Legislation over his Stop Woke Act and whitewashing Black history in the classrooms meticulously prepared him for Washington D.C.

“There were moments I had to stand toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful people in this state — not for headlines, not for politics, but because I knew what was at stake for everyday people,” Jones said in a campaign video announcing his Senate departure.  “I want you all to know that every fight I took on, I carry you all with me.”

Jones is focusing on economic fairness, housing affordability, healthcare access and standing up to what he calls the “worst of the Trump MAGA agenda.

Jones also supports expanding the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit for relief for working families in an effort to reduce child poverty.

Jones has been endorsed by The Miami Herald and local political leaders including U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar, West Park Mayor Felicia Brunson, Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, former Miami-Dade Commissioners Betty Ferguson and Barbara Jordan.

Also backing Jones are NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the Miami AFL-CIO, United Teachers of Dade, 314 Action and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.

Gilbert served as chair for the Miami-Dade County Commission for four years, leading the county’s legislative efforts and initiatives.
Some of those initiatives included economic development, championed economic development and small-business support, ensuring that Miami-Dade County remains a hub for growth and innovation.

Also, Gilbert spearheaded public safety, healthcare and urban progress programs and co-sponsored legislation to expedite the county’s SMART Plan, a rapid transit plan to include a rail line from downtown Miami to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and express buses to connect passengers to Metrorail and traveling to farthest South Miami-Dade region like Homestead and Florida City.

The program is designed to accommodate future population and employment growth while providing multiple transportation options.

The price tag of the SMART Plan was estimated at over $80 billion in 2018 but federal and state funding gaps have delayed the mass transportation project.

In his bid for Congress, Gilbert’s political platform focuses on addressing the needs of South Florida residents, particularly working families, reinvesting in job training and supporting small businesses, ensuring that healthcare is accessible and affordable for all Americans.

He is also focusing on expanding federal investment in affordable housing and strengthening protections for renters, and ending funding for deportation policies, redirecting resources to community development instead.

Gilbert’s supporters also include Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levin Cava, Miami-Dade County Commissioners Keon Hardemon and Mickey Steinberg, City of Miami Mayor Elieen Higgins, the Miami Times, the Service Employees International Union, Miami Gardens State Rep. Felicia Robinson and former state Rep. Philip Brutus.

Kendrick Meek is following in the footsteps of his grandmother, Carrie Meek, and his father, Kendrick Meek, who represented the district in Congress from 1993 to 2011.

His father won his mother’s seat immediately after she retired from Congress but decided not to run for reelection and instead launched an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate.

Now, Kendrick Meek is seeking to be a third-generation U.S. Rep.

Meek, 29, is an attorney and public policy professional who said in his campaign ad makes him “ready on day one” to fight for Florida families who are struggling to make ends meet while President Trump and his billionaire friends get richer.

“I grew up watching public service firsthand,” Meek said on his campaign website. “As the grandson of the late Congresswoman Carrie Meek and the son of former Congressman Kendrick Meek, I saw what it looked like when leaders put people before politics. My family spent decades fighting for economic opportunity, educational access, voting rights, and stronger communities throughout South Florida. Those values shaped who I am, and they continue to guide me today.”

Meek said he is focusing on affordability including expanding affordable housing and strengthening programs that help families put food on the table.

He’s also advocating to protect access to healthcare, restore and expand the Child Tax Credit, and make college, trade schools, and workforce training more accessible and affordable.

The political novice has received significant endorsements from U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus, Miami-Dade School Board Member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall: Civil Rights leader and past president of the NAACP Adora Obi Nweze, and U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D- California).

Sánchez has endorsed Kendrick Meek for his commitment to tackling the gun violence epidemic and his unwavering commitment to protecting the middle class.

Meek, so far, has outraised his opponents with roughly $480,000 in the bank, while Jones has over $255,000 and $250,000 for Gilbert, according to the Federal Election Commission.

However, the candidates are expected to raise significant amounts as financial reports from their political action committees were not made available.

Other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the race for Congressional district 24 are former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, doctor/lawyer Rudolph Moise, attorney Roderick Vereen and Marshall Davis, Sr., longtime director for the Miami-Dade Cultural Arts and Performing Center in Liberty City which was named after him in 2024.

Also, Andy Daro is running with No Party Affiliation and Patricia Gonzalez is a write-in candidate.

The winner will face Republican candidate Mayronna Te Brown, who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination, in November.