Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila, 1979-

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (born January 25, 1979) is an American attorney, businesswoman, and politician currently serving as the U.S Representative for Florida's 20th congressional district. She won a special election to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Alcee Hastings.

Born in Brooklyn to parents from Haiti and raised in Queens, she moved to Florida at 13 to attend high school. After graduating from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Florida, Cherfilus-McCormick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from Howard University and a Juris Doctor from the St. Thomas University School of Law. After graduating from college, Cherfilus-McCormick served as a project manager for the New York City Transit Authority. From 1999 to 2007, she worked as the vice president for operations of Trinity Health Care Services, Inc., a Florida-based family home health care company co-founded by her stepfather. She later served as CEO.

After losing to incumbent Representative Alcee Hastings in the 2018 and 2020 Democratic primary for Florida's 20th congressional district seat, Cherfilus-McCormick ran in the special election to succeed Hastings after his death. Campaigning on progressive policies such as a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and a $1,000-a-month universal basic income, she won the Democratic primary by five votes over Broward County commissioner Dale Holness. Cherfilus-McCormick went on to easily defeat Republican Jason Mariner in the January 11, 2022 general election and took her seat one week later. She is the only Haitian-American Democrat ever elected to Congress and only the second overall, after Republican Mia Love of Utah.