Election results: U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick keeps seat held by late Alcee Hastings

For the second time in 10 months, U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on Tuesday won her quest to win a seat long held by the late Congressman Alcee Hastings.

With the vast majority of the ballots in the two-county district counted, the 43-year-old Democrat had snared 73% of the vote over Republican challenger Drew-Montez Clark, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

The sprawling U.S. House District 20 extends from The Glades in far western Palm Beach County to Plantation in Broward County. It is considered one of the most heavily Democratic districts in Florida.

"Thank you District 20!" Cherfilus-McCormick said in a tweet, declaring victory. "I’m honored to continue serving the district I love for a second term!"

Click here for live Palm Beach County election results when they come in

Background on the race: Cherfilus-McCormick v. Clark: Here's a guide to the U.S. House District 20 race

The 43-year-old Cherfilus-McCormick was forced to run for a full two-year term after winning a special election in January to fill the vacancy created when Hastings died from pancreatic cancer in April 2021. She is the second Haitian-American ever elected to Congress and the first Democrat of Haitian descent.

Clark, who describes himself as an entrepreneur and previously worked as a chiropractor on the state’s west coast, had never sought political office. He ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

A self-described conservative, the 38-year-old Plantation resident described himself as  “pro-God, pro-life, pro-second amendment, pro-parental rights” on his campaign website.

In contrast, Chefilus-McCormick said one of her priorities is defending reproductive rights and ending attacks on voting rights.

Chefilus-McCormick, who quit her job as CEO of a family-founded health care company after her election to Congress, also said she wants to end health care disparities by pushing for universal health care.

The Miramar resident also wants to tackle the housing crisis by providing funding for rental and mortgage assistance and by increasing affordable housing.

Cherfilus-McCormick had a whopping $6.7 million into her campaign warchest as of Oct. 19, according to the Federal Election Commission. Of that, roughly $370,000 came from supporters while the rest came from loans she made to the campaign.

Through the same period, Clark raised $127,300 and contributed another $11,375 into his campaign, records show.

The job pays $174,000 annually.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick keeps late Alcee Hastings' seat