Former state senator Shevrin Jones running to succeed Frederica Wilson

Claire Heddles, Miami Herald on Jun 4, 2026

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MIAMI — Former Democratic state senator Shevrin Jones is officially running to succeed longtime Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who announced last week she wouldn’t be seeking reelection.

He filed his candidate paperwork to run in Florida’s 24th District to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday morning.

Jones has served in the Florida’s Legislature since 2012, and he was set to become the Senate Democratic Leader in 2028. He was born and raised in Miami Gardens, part of the 24th District, and is a previous Miami-Dade Democratic Party chairman.

“Everything I’ve done over these past 13 years has been rooted in one simple belief: that people deserve leadership that fights for them,” he said in an emotional announcement last week on his planned departure from the state Senate.

He’s the first candidate to file for the seat since Wilson announced her plans. Rudolph Moise had previously announced his candidacy, and several other local political leaders are also considering running. A wide open primary for a safe Democratic federal seat is rare in Florida, as incumbents usually hold on to them for years.

The 24th District is also one of the few remaining Black majority districts in the South after Republican state legislatures have aggressively pursued new voting maps after the Supreme Court altered its interpretation of the federal Voting Rights Act.

In an exclusive interview before her announcement, Wilson told the Miami Herald she was still considering who she might endorse in the race.

“I carried a lot, and it’s time to find someone who I can trust,” she said. “I’m going to vet all these candidates to see who I can trust to carry this mission forward.”

When asked about his candidate filing paperwork, a spokesperson for Jones said that “he is inviting friends, family, and supporters to the church, where his journey all started” at Koinonia Worship Center and Village in Pembroke Park next Tuesday evening for a “big announcement about the future of our community.”