Gay Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones Launches Congressional Bid
The trailblazing state senator hopes to become the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Florida.
Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens) has launched a bid for Congress, seeking to represent Florida’s 24th Congressional District.
Jones kicked off his campaign on June 9 at Koinonia Worship Center in Pembroke Pines, the church his parents founded, casting himself as part of a “new generation of leadership focused on lowering costs, taking on corruption, and fighting for South Florida.”
“Groceries and gas costs keep rising. Rent is too high. Healthcare bills are literally bankrupting families. People are working harder than ever and still just barely getting by,” Jones said in remarks at the campaign event. “Politicians in Washington don’t see us. They’re more focused on themselves and their wealthy donors than our families.”
Jones is seeking to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), 83, who has represented parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Congress since 2011.
Under the mid-decade redistricting plan approved by Florida Republicans, the 24th District was redrawn to concentrate many of South Florida’s Democratic voters within its boundaries, making it one of the state’s most heavily Democratic congressional districts. Although the maps face legal challenges, courts have allowed them to remain in place for the 2026 election. The district stretches from Dania Beach in the north to parts of Miami in the south, including Little River, Liberty City, Little Haiti, Wynwood, Allapattah, and Grapeland Heights.
Jones, who made history as the first openly gay person elected to the Florida State Senate, would become Florida’s first openly LGBTQ member of Congress if elected. He previously served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives before winning election to Senate District 34 in 2020.
Given the district’s strong Democratic lean, the winner of the Aug. 18 Democratic primary is favored to prevail in the general election. Jones faces a crowded field that includes Miami-Dade Commissioner and former Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert, former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, business owner Christine Sanon-Jules, and Rudy Moise, a physician and former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon who dropped his bid for the neighboring 20th Congressional District after Republicans adopted new congressional maps.
In a post on X, Jones shared an introductory campaign video touting his record of fighting Republicans and advocating for the region he calls home. He also urged supporters to volunteer, donate, and visit his campaign website.
“The future is not something Washington hands to us. The future is something we build, together. Today, we start building,” he wrote. “But we can’t do it alone. This campaign belongs to all of us. Join the movement, sign up to volunteer, make a contribution if you’re able, and let’s build the future together.”
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