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By Andrew Stanton
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Luther Campbell, the Miami-based rapper known as Uncle Luke, said he is mulling a challenge to Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
Campbell—known for his work in the musical group 2 Live Crew, whose album As Nasty as They Wanna Be became the first album to be ruled obscene in a federal court—disclosed his interest in running for Congress in a new interview with news outlet The Bulwark published on March 29.
He told the publication he would make a formal decision about whether he would run by Florida's April 26 qualifying deadline, and that he believed he had "the opportunity to bring something back to the community."
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"And I get to fight these mother*******," Campbell, 63, told the publication, adding that he was referring to "Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump, and all these crazy-a** Republicans who want to divide us."
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He also quipped that if elected, he would "be as nasty as I wanna be," according to the report.
Gaetz responded to Campbell's remarks in a post to X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Oh hey Uncle Luke!"
In a statement to Newsweek, Gaetz wrote, "The last time Uncle Luke ran for office he came in fourth in a mayoral race. He did lame radio ads for the even lamer Phil Levine for Governor campaign too. He says he wants to fight me but I've won all my elections. Uncle Luke has Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick in an undercard bout before he's even a contender."
If he runs, he would be challenging Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat first elected in the 2022 special election to replace late Congressman Alcee Hastings, in Florida's 20th Congressional District. In Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick has established a left-leaning voting record, joining the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Newsweek reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick's campaign, Trump's campaign and Campbell's team for comment via email.
The congressional district is based around southern Florida, comprising areas that include Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. It is a firmly Democratic seat, as Cherfilus-McCormick won the November general election with more than 72 percent of the vote.
Any Democrat who prevails in the primary would be viewed as the significant favorite to win the general election.
While Campbell may be best known for his musical work, he has also established a long career around philanthropy and political activism, The Bulwark reported. In January, he set up a political committee called "Don't Stop Get It Get It," which could help fund a potential political campaign.
He has also written columns for the Miami New Times from 2010 to 2022, at times voicing criticism of both Republicans and Democrats.
In a 2021 column, Campbell wrote that he considered challenging Governor Ron DeSantis in the state's 2022 gubernatorial race, criticizing him for allegedly being "more concerned with being named heir to Donald Trump's Republican throne."
In 2019, Campbell wrote a scathing column criticizing then–presidential candidate Kamala Harris over her record as a prosecutor. But in a follow-up article after speaking with Harris in a phone call, he decided she was "the Black Presidential Candidate who deserves our vote" and "the only candidate who can scare Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup."
Update 4/1/2024 7:08 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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