Tony backs Holness in crowded FL-20 congressional race

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony backed former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness in Florida’s 20th Congressional District race, adding law-enforcement weight to a contest that has become one of Broward’s sharpest fights over representation. The endorsement landed in a crowded Democratic primary that Ballotpedia says is scheduled for August 18, 2026.

Tony framed Holness as a steady hand for Broward, saying, "As the twice-elected Sheriff of Broward County, I am deliberate and selective about the candidates I endorse. I support leaders with proven records, sound judgment, and a clear dedication to public service. Dale Holness meets-and exceeds-those standards. He has earned my endorsement and my full support for Congress." The backing puts Holness’s record on public safety, housing and economic issues at the center of his appeal to Broward voters.

Holness has spent much of the last two decades in local office. He served on the Broward County Commission for District 9 from 2010 to 2022, was elected Broward County mayor in 2020 and previously served as a Lauderhill commissioner from 2004 to 2010. His political alliance with Tony goes back years: Holness endorsed Tony in Tony’s 2020 sheriff campaign after Tony had become a countywide figure in Broward law enforcement.

The new endorsement also arrives with personal and political baggage for Tony. In March 2025, the Florida Commission on Ethics recommended that he receive public censure and reprimand, closing a yearslong ethics matter that centered on questions about what he disclosed in public-service applications and driver’s-license paperwork. That history makes his decision to step into the congressional race more notable in Broward, where local credibility often matters as much as party labels.

Florida’s 2026 redistricting reshaped the congressional map before the election cycle and intensified the debate over Black representation in what many local leaders still treat as a historically Black district. Recent reporting says FL-20 remains about 42% Black in voting-age population under the new map. Black community leaders have also urged Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to run in another district, a sign that the race has become as much about who speaks for Broward as about who can win the primary. Holness has tried to consolidate support around affordable housing, small business growth and public safety, and Tony’s backing gives that strategy a louder local voice.