Florida Representative Announces Run in Neighboring District

A Florida member of Congress announced she will run in a neighboring congressional district. The representative, who currently holds Florida's 25th Congressional District, previously served as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee and is the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.

The state's 20th Congressional District was previously represented by a member who resigned from Congress shortly before a scheduled House Ethics Committee hearing over allegations she improperly obtained $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in April.

The move also comes after Florida's congressional map was redrawn, making the representative's previous district more competitive for a Republican challenger.

Reactions The announcement drew pushback from Florida Democrats and Republicans alike. A National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman said the representative is abandoning her home district because she knows she was headed for defeat in a seat President Trump won by double digits.

The former representative is also expected to face competition from the member who resigned, who announced a reelection bid one day after resigning from office despite the allegations against her. The former representative told reporters earlier this month that she remains committed to the district and dismissed the idea of backing another Democrat should more candidates enter the race.

"Absolutely not, because I'm running in District 20," she said. "I've never shied away from a fight. I am still fighting, and my team has always said we're ready.