- published: 31 Aug 2016
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz (born September 27, 1966) is an American politician. She is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 23rd congressional district, a member of the Democratic Party and the Chair of the Democratic National Committee. She previously served in the Florida House of Representatives, the Florida Senate, and was campaign co-chair for Hillary Clinton's 2008 unsuccessful run for President. She is the first Jewish congresswoman elected from Florida. Her district covers parts of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, including the densely populated coastal cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.
Born Deborah Wasserman in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, she is the daughter of Ann and Larry Wasserman. Her father is a CPA. From 1968 to 1978 the family lived in Lido Beach, Nassau County, New York. In 1978, her family moved to Melville, Suffolk County, New York where Wasserman graduated from high school in 1984. She received a Bachelor of Arts in 1988 and a Master of Arts with a certificate in political campaigning in 1990, both in Political Science, from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is the United States Representative for Florida's 9th congressional district and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Representative for Florida's 8th congressional district from 2009 to 2011. He was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Republican Daniel Webster and was then elected in 2012 for a second, non-consecutive term in the House of Representatives, defeating Republican Todd Long. In 2014 he defeated Republican challenger Carol Platt to win re-election. On July 9, 2015, Grayson announced his intentions to run in the United States Senate election in Florida, 2016 to replace Marco Rubio.
Grayson was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, to Dorothy Ann (née Sabin) and Daniel Franklin Grayson. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1975. Grayson worked his way through Harvard College as a janitor and nightwatchman, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude degree in economics in 1978. After working two years as an economist, he returned to Harvard for graduate studies. In 1983, he earned a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and a Masters of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, he completed some of the requirements for a PhD in government—the course work and passing the general exams. While in college Grayson was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.