Democrat Hector Mujica has withdrawn from the race for Florida's 28th Congressional District following revelations that he does not meet the party affiliation requirements to run as a Democratic candidate. The withdrawal comes less than three weeks after Florida Politics first reported his ineligibility based on voter registration records from Broward County. "After spending several days reviewing every available option with our legal counsel, I have made the difficult decision not to move forward," Mujica said in a statement. He acknowledged that the party registration discrepancy created a complicated legal situation under newly enacted state election law that could not be resolved before the qualifying deadline.
According to Broward County records, Mujica switched his party affiliation from Democrat to no party affiliation on June 4, 2025, then returned to Democrat status on July 26, 2025. Florida law now requires candidates to maintain continuous party membership for 365 days before running for office under that party's banner. When questioned about the party switch, Mujica denied making it intentionally and suggested the change resulted from a clerical error. The Broward Supervisor of Elections Office rejected this explanation, stating it found no evidence of any administrative mistake.
Retired Air Force Commander Phil Ehr, Mujica's primary opponent, initially brought the eligibility issue to light by filing a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission. After Mujica's campaign continued seeking endorsements despite the dispute, Ehr announced plans to pursue legal action to block Mujica from the ballot. Following Mujica's withdrawal announcement, Ehr praised the decision. "This was never about political games. It was about following the same elections laws that apply to every candidate, regardless of party position, or personal relationships," Ehr said. He added that while he respects Mujica's desire to serve the community, the district needs people committed to following established election rules.
The eligibility requirement stems from an amended law passed unanimously this year by Democratic lawmakers. The change closed a gap in existing statute that had previously allowed candidates to circumvent Florida's election rules. A 2022 court case involving former COVID dashboard operator Rebekah Jones had highlighted this loophole, with a three-judge panel ruling that the state lacked adequate enforcement mechanisms to verify candidates' party affiliations. The new law addresses that shortcoming. With Mujica's departure, Ehr now faces an unobstructed path to the Democratic primary in CD 28, which covers southwestern Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. He intends to challenge Republican Representative Carlos Gimenez, who defeated him by 30 percentage points in 2024.