Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is a former United States House of Representatives member from Florida. She represented the 26th District of Florida. At the time, this district included Miami, Homestead and Key Largo.
Mucarsel-Powell's time in the House would not necessarily be long-lasting. But evidently, she made quite an impression, nonetheless. So much so that it seems there are calls for her to try for a return to the United States Congress.
Calls for her to run for the United States Senate
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is being called upon by supporters to run for the U.S.
Senate, Politico and Florida Politics report. Florida's next scheduled U.S. Senate election is in 2024. Republican Rick Scott currently holds the seat in question.
Scott, a former governor of Florida, is running for re-election. So far, he has drawn one relatively unknown challenger in the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, there have been several entrants seeking the nomination.
The most well-known of those is likely former U.S. Representative Alan Grayson. Grayson has unsuccessfully sought a Democratic nod for the Senate twice before. A number of Independent and third-party candidates have also launched candidacies.
Mucarsel-Powell is apparently the preferred choice for many power players in the Democratic Party.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has personally contacted her about running. California U.S. Representative Linda Sanchez has also been openly enthusiastic about the notion. Sanchez is a prominent member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Her sister, Loretta, was also a longtime member of Congress.
In 2016, Mucarsel-Powell ran for a seat in the Florida Senate.
Coming up short against Republican incumbent Anitere Flores, who quickly afterwards was named the Senate's president pro tempore. Two years later, Mucarsel-Powell was elected to the U.S. House, defeating Republican incumbent Carlos Curbelo.
In Congress, she was a member of the House Committees on the Judiciary and on Transportation and Infrastructure.
But in 2020, she fell short again in her re-election bid. This time to Republican Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.
Is originally from Ecuador
The future Debbie Mucarsel-Powell was born in Guayaquil in western Ecuador. She immigrated to the United States with her mother and three sisters.
She is married to Robert Powell. They have three children. Mucarsel-Powell holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. She followed that up with an international political economy master's degree from nearby Claremont Graduate University.
Mucarsel-Powell would hold a number of prominent posts at Florida International University. Before becoming a political candidate, she volunteered for multiple Democratic presidential campaigns.
