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Fort Lauderdale, FL — Democratic candidate for Florida’s 23rd congressional Oliver Larkin issued the following statements following the resignation of FL-20’s Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick:

“Let’s be clear about what this is,” Larkin said. “This is the use of public money meant for Covid response being redirected into a political campaign. It is corruption, and it is exactly why people do not trust Congress.”

“There is a leadership vacuum in South Florida,” Larkin continued. “Our districts’ shared communities of Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Oakland Park, and Margate deserve accountable leadership that stands up for the values of our party and is free from the stain of corruption. When our current leaders are running as Republican-lite or facing federal charges, we need elected officials who take a strong anti-corruption stance.”

“If we are serious about fighting corruption, that has to start at home,” Larkin said. “We cannot spend every election cycle talking about Republican corruption while excusing it when it happens inside the Democratic Party. Voters see that hypocrisy, and they’re done with it.”

“There is a systemic corruption problem in Washington, from stock trading to corporate PAC money to illegal campaign financing schemes,” Larkin said. “Our campaign rejects them all—we are not interested in participating in that system. We are here to dismantle it.”

Larkin urged Gov. DeSantis to immediately schedule a special election, noting that DeSantis delayed calling a special election for a record nine months following the passing of the late Rep. Alcee Hastings in April 2021. “The working class, immigrant, and Black and Brown communities of Broward and Palm Beach County deserve representation in Congress without delay. Gov. DeSantis must not deprive South Floridians for almost nine months without a voice in Washington.”

Larkin, the first candidate for Congress in 2026 endorsed by the national Democratic Socialists of America, is challenging incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz in the FL-23 Democratic primary.

For more information, visit oliverforcongress.com.

Media Contact:
Vanlyn Ramsay
305.537.6026
press@oliverforcongress.com