Florida

Luther Campbell, aka rapper Uncle Luke, running for Florida politics

Published

2 months ago

February 16, 2026

Luther Campbell, aka rapper Uncle Luke, running for Florida politics

The rapper is running in the August primary for the 20th Congressional District that includes portions of Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Miami-based rapper Luther Campbell, known best as Uncle Luke during his days with the iconic hip-hop group 2 Live Crew, is running for political office.

Campbell made the announcement Feb. 15 on WPLG’s show “This Week in South Florida.” He plans to run in the August primary for Florida 20^th Congressional seat, which includes parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties and is currently held by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

“It is a very underserved community,” Campbell said while making his announcement. “The representation of the community is not there. People want to engage with their congressperson.”

The Democrat said he has good relationships with politicians on both sides of the aisle and claimed to have Secretary of State Marco Rubio on speed dial.

“Who’s going to be able to talk to Marco Rubio? Who’s going to be able to talk toDonald Trump? Me. I’m the only one who can do that,” Campbell said.

Luther Campbell stepped down from coaching high school football

Campbell, a South Florida fixture, has been a successful high school football coach at Miami Edison Senior High since 2018 but announced last month he was stepping down to explore a political career.

“I can’t coach and run at the same time because I’m going to be in a race with a whole bunch of people and I need to be able to get my ass up to Belle Glades, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes,” Campbell, also known as Uncle Luke, announced on social media. “I need to be able to get my ass up to Tamarac, I need to go to damn Riviera Beach and I need to be able to be amongst these people and ask these people what the issues are in their community before I make a decision of yes or no.”

In 2024, Campbell told The Miami Herald he was considering a run to unseat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, which includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The Democratic congresswoman is currently accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds and making illegal campaign contributions. She was indicted in November of last year and her arraignment is set for next month.

Campbell previously ran for political office in Florida

This is not Cambell’s first run for political office.

Back in 2011 he ran in a special election for Miami-Dade County mayor. He came in fourth with nearly 11% of the votes.

This time, Campbell said his campaign will have the support and financial backing from all artists he has worked with over the years.

“I’m going to have a lot of money,” he said. “Every artist, every artist that I produce, and every artist by creating Southern hip-hop will be donating to this campaign.”

Campbell’s group 2 Live Crew gained national attention in the 1990s when they became a First Amendment activists after their music was deemed obscene by a federal judge. An appeals court eventually overturned the ruling.He, along with fellow band members, also were arrested on obscenity charges for performing at a South Florida club. A jury found them not guilty.

Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

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Florida

New details in nearly $200,000 Florida embezzlement case

Published

3 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

New details in nearly 0,000 Florida embezzlement case

Twenty checks were recorded paid to “Farmer and Irwin,” but Martin County Sheriff’s investigators reported the $85,410 in payments actually went to Alexandra Gonzalez and were used for personal expenses, including travel and retail purchases.

The details are in court records supporting the April 9 arrest of Gonzalez, 46, who is accused of embezzling nearly $200,000 in total from The Dune of Hutchinson Island Condominium Association and the Whitemarsh Reserve Homeowners Association.

Gonzalez, identified as a community association manager who worked for a property management company, was held April 10 in the Martin County jail on 124 charges with more than $1.2 million bond, records show.

Sheriff’s officials in February began investigating after association representatives reported the suspected fraudulent or theft activity, which at Dune of Hutchinson Island occurred beginning in October 2025 and at Whitmarsh Reserve started in February 2025, according to statements in records.

In the Dune of Hutchinson Island case, the owner of the property management company that employed Gonzalez told sheriff’s officials that Gonzalez “exploited the system by creating and altering vendor profiles, specifically a vendor identified as ‘Farmer and Irwin,’ to conceal fraudulent transactions,” according to records.

Checks — 20 in total representing $85,410 — recorded as payments to Farmer and Irwin corresponded to checks issued to Gonzalez, according to statements in records. The checks had a forged signature of a Dune of Hutchinson Island association vice president.

Meanwhile, in the Whitemarsh Reserve case, investigators found 39 checks totaling $111,980 fraudulently issued to Gonzalez. Investigators found Gonzalez “issued fraudulent checks payable to herself, and made corresponding false entries in the association’s accounting system to conceal those transactions…,” records show.

Investigators reported records showed the money was used for personal expenses, including travel, cosmetic and medical procedures and retail purchases.

In speaking with investigators, Gonzalez expressed regret and said she’d be willing to repay the amounts “to avoid legal consequences.”

Gonzalez ultimately reported going through financial challenges during the time when the checks were issued.

“When asked if her financial situation was the reason she issued checks to herself, Gonzalez admitted that it was,” records show.

Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

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Florida

NEWS 6 TONIGHT | Daily Florida News with Perspective

Published

15 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

NEWS 6 TONIGHT | Daily Florida News with Perspective

If you need help with the Public File, call (407) 291-6000

At WKMG, we are committed to informing and delighting our audience. In our commitment to covering our communities with innovation and excellence, we incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our news gathering, reporting, and presentation processes. Read our article to see how we are using Artificial Intelligence.

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Florida

WATCH: Florida man attempts to flee during arrest, officer catches him by handcuff chain

Published

1 day ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Body camera footage from March 30 shows a Florida man attempting to flee while being placed in handcuffs before an officer found a bag of marijuana hidden in his pocket.

An officer pulled Jaiden Carwise, 18, over after he ran a red light. The officer discovered he had also violated his probation, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.

The officer placed Carwise in handcuffs and asked him what was in his pocket, according to footage.

He attempted to flee, but the officer grabbed him by the handcuffs and arm, leading to a struggle before Carwise fell to the ground. The officer saw that Carwise held over 20 grams of marijuana behind his back.

“You can’t work with me, bro?” Carwise said.

“If I was going to work with you, it was before you did all of that,” the officer said. “Once you’re in handcuffs you can’t do that.”