A party switch last year may bar Hector Mujica from running as a Democrat in CD 28

He’s been racking up endorsements from some of his party’s biggest South Florida names, but a short-lived party affiliation switch last year may prevent Hector Mujica from legally appearing on the ballot as a Democrat in Florida’s 28th Congressional District.

His campaign denies he made any changes to his voter file, chalking up the issue to a technical glitch or clerical mistake. His Primary opponent, Phil Ehr, argues the newly revealed problem is evidence of a lack of basic due diligence on Mujica’s part that should disqualify him from the race.

Voter registration records from the Broward County Supervisor of Elections’ Office show Mujica changed his party affiliation from Democrat to no party affiliation (NPA) on June 4, 2025, before switching back to Democrat on July 26, 2025.

That roughly seven-week interruption could prove decisive under Florida law, which requires candidates seeking a party nomination to have been registered members of that party for 365 consecutive days before qualifying.

While the applicable statute did not previously specify that the 365 days must be consecutive, legislation state lawmakers unanimously passed this year, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last month, removed any ambiguity. It requires partisan candidates to have been registered members of the party whose nomination they seek for “at least 365 consecutive days” before qualifying begins.

For congressional races, qualifying for the 2026 election cycle begins June 8, well within the 365 days binding Mujica under the law.

The legislation — sponsored by Kissimmee Sen. Kristen Arrington and Tallahassee Rep. Allison Tant, both Democrats — does not explicitly state that it applies retroactively; however, it took effect immediately upon becoming law and governs candidate eligibility at the time of qualifying, not when a voter changed party affiliation.

Mujica entered the CD 28 race after abandoning a bid for the U.S. Senate on April 8, less than two weeks before the qualifying period began for the Senate contest.

Campaign Communications Adviser Claire VanSusteren said Friday that Mujica was surprised to learn of the party affiliation flip-flop, which he denies authorizing.

“This appears to be a clerical or administrative error, and Hector did not change his party registration to NPA. We have already contacted the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office and are working to determine exactly what occurred,” she said.

“We look forward to getting this matter resolved quickly and continuing to focus on the issues that actually impact people’s lives.”

It remains to be seen whether the Broward agency finds a clerical or administrative error indeed caused the switch — or if it, or Mujica and his team, can explain how his Democratic registration was regained soon after if no one was previously aware of an error. But it is undeniably odd for anyone to take an NPA sojourn, only to return to their prior party affiliation a month and a half later.

VanSusteren said Mujica “has no recollection” of changing to NPA and back again.

“It’s a mystery to us,” she said.

A former Google philanthropy executive and first-generation Venezuelan American, he framed the move out of the Senate race as a strategic shift toward a district he believed Democrats could flip.

His campaign quickly attracted attention from national and local Democratic leaders, including U.S. Reps. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Raul Ruiz of California, both of whom endorsed him.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also endorsed Mujica this week, calling him a candidate who “brings empathy, optimism, and a genuine belief that government should help people get ahead.”

Mujica is seeking to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez in a district that includes portions of Miami-Dade and all of Monroe County.

He faces a Primary challenge in retired Navy Commander Phil Ehr, who lost to Giménez by 30 percentage points in 2024.

Ehr lives in CD 28. Mujica lives in Hollywood, a Broward County municipality.

“This is exactly what Florida voters are sick and tired of: Political grifters and conmen preying on our good-faith donors and volunteers who work tirelessly to help candidates get elected. Commander Phil Ehr will do what he’s always done: defend democracy, our Constitution and the rule of law,” Ehr’s campaign said.

Ehr’s campaign told Florida Politics it has filed a complaint against Mujica with the Florida Elections Commission. Florida Politics reviewed the paperwork sent.

“I don’t care which team is cheating. I will call them out and stop them,” Ehr said by text.

Ehr’s campaign first flagged Mujica’s voter-registration issue using Florida campaign voter data and targeting platform WebElect. Florida Politics independently confirmed the information with the Broward Supervisor of Elections.

VanSusteren, apparently keen to Ehr’s involvement in the findings — which Florida Politics did not disclose to Mujica’s campaign — said it is “disappointing that Phil Ehr would rather focus on political games and attempts to disqualify an opponent than talk about the issues that matter most to South Florida families.”

Mujica’s potential ineligibility raises significant questions about how his campaign staff and local, state and federal Democratic Party officials vetted him. It also comes at a high sunk cost to thousands who donated to his Senate campaign and an uncounted number who gave to his CD 28 bid.

Federal Election Commission records show that between Oct. 14, 2025, and March 31, 2026, Mujica’s Senate campaign raised $717,348 and spent $637,278.

Roughly $416,000 of that spending went to consulting, media, fundraising, polling, compliance and related political vendors, excluding in-kind transactions. The campaign’s largest expenditures included about $175,000 to digital firm Middle Seat, $74,500 to media consultant Putnam Partners, $43,000 to communications firm Operativo, $35,750 to fundraising consultant Johnson Smith Consulting and $26,500 to NWF Strategies.

The campaign also reported more than $11,000 in direct reimbursements and other payments to Mujica himself for travel, lodging, printing, catering, site-rental and other campaign expenses.

Mujica’s first campaign finance reports for his CD 28 campaign are due mid-July.