Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (born September 27, 1966) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 25th congressional district, a position she has held since 2017 after representing the 23rd district from 2005 to 2017. A Democrat, she previously chaired the Democratic National Committee from 2011 until her resignation in July 2016, following the WikiLeaks publication of over 19,000 DNC emails that revealed internal efforts by party officials, including herself, to undermine Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential primary campaign in favor of Hillary Clinton. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Wasserman Schultz graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in political science, where she served as president of the Student Senate. She entered politics early, becoming the youngest woman elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1992 at age 26, later serving in the Florida Senate from 2000 to 2004 before her election to Congress. In the House, she has focused on appropriations as ranking member of subcommittees on military construction, veterans affairs, and related agencies, as well as energy and water development. Her tenure has included notable controversies, such as her defense of IT staffer Imran Awan, whom she retained on payroll despite investigations into unauthorized access to congressional data systems by him and family members; Awan pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 2018 but was cleared of espionage allegations. Wasserman Schultz has been a vocal advocate for Democratic priorities including healthcare access and support for Israel, while facing criticism for her role in the 2016 DNC impartiality lapses that fueled perceptions of party establishment bias.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz was born Deborah Wasserman on September 27, 1966, in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, to parents Lawrence Wasserman, a certified public accountant, and Ann Wasserman. The family was Jewish, though Wasserman Schultz later described her upbringing as not highly religious, with her parents nonetheless instilling an awareness of Judaism's significance. From 1968 to 1978, the Wassermans lived in Lido Beach on Long Island, where she spent much of her childhood before the family relocated within the region.