Rudy Moise — doctor, lawyer, veteran, self-produced movie star — files to run in CD 20

Rudolph “Rudy” Moise, whose résumé includes medical doctor, lawyer, veteran, and Creole film star and producer, is running to add another title to that list: Congressman.

Moise filed paperwork last month for another run at the U.S. House. That paperwork was for Florida’s 24th Congressional District. He has since refocused on Florida’s 20th Congressional District, where he hopes to supplant U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a fellow Democrat facing federal charges of stealing government funds, money laundering and campaign finance violations.

“I am running for Congress because I believe deeply in the promise of this country,” Moise said in a statement.

“As a physician, I have seen firsthand the inequities in our healthcare system. As a Colonel, I understand leadership, discipline, and sacrifice. And as an immigrant, I understand what it means to fight for opportunity.”

Moise’s candidacy for CD 20, which spans parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, is his third run at federal office, following two prior campaigns in 2010 and 2012 for Florida’s 17th Congressional District and CD 24, respectively.

Both times, he lost to Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson.

He is a Haitian immigrant, born in Port-au-Prince, who came to the U.S. at 17. To pursue a medical career, he attended school during the day and worked nights, ultimately earning a degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Later, he earned MBA and law degrees from the University of Miami before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 2013 as a flight surgeon.

Moise served in the Air Force Reserve for 21 years, rising to the rank of colonel — the highest rank, at the time, ever attained by an American of Haitian descent.

For the past 40 years, Moise, 71, has worked as the founding President of Comprehensive Health Center, which has offices in Miami and Orlando. His community involvements include serving as President of the Dade County Medical Association and Chair of the Jackson Health Foundation.

He is also a serial entrepreneur, the founder of the first full-time Creole-language radio station, and an actor and producer of several feature films, including “Trapped: Haitian Nights,” starring Vivica A. Fox, Kenya Moore and Clifton Powell; and “Dolls of Voodoo” starring Moore and Obba Babatundé.

Moise, who recently changed his longtime voter address from Davie to Sunny Isles Beach, is holding a campaign kickoff event Friday evening at the Colony West Golf Club in Tamarac. He then plans to embark on a listening tour to meet with residents, businesses and stakeholders across CD 20 to shape a “people-centered agenda.”

“This campaign is about restoring faith in leadership,” he said. “It is about standing up for those who work hard, serve honorably, and simply want a fair shot.”

CD 20 currently spans a majority-Black area in and around western and central Broward County, with a small portion of southeast Palm Beach County. It includes all or part of Fort Lauderdale, Lake Park, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Riviera Beach, Sunrise and Tamarac.

It’s Florida’s most Democratic-leaning congressional district, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+22. But that may change due to a Florida GOP push, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, to redraw the district’s borders and those of other safe Democratic districts ahead of this year’s elections.

Others running in CD 20, which Cherfilus-McCormick plans to defend, include Democrats Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, Dale Holness and Elijah Manley; Republicans Sendra Dorce and Joseph Rodenay; independent Kedner Maxime; and write-in candidate Kevin McClellan.