Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Florida voters in the state's 20th congressional district are preparing to hit the polls on Tuesday to determine whether their US House seat will remain in Democratic control or flip to Republicans.

The election is being held to replace Rep. Alcee Hastings, who passed away in April.

Florida's 20th congressional district covers parts of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. It is one of the bluest districts in the state, giving Democrats a big leg up as the general election approaches.

Attorney and businesswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won the Democratic nomination by just five – yes, five – votes during the November primary.

Politicians Democrat Adam Smith slammed for calling for Gaza ceasefire protesters to be arrested

She is campaigning on a progressive platform, including policies like Medicare For All, a Green New Deal, and a universal basic income of $1,000 per month.

If she wins, she would become only the second Haitian American – and the first Haitian-American Democrat – ever elected to Congress.

Cherfilus-McCormick says she will be a strong advocate for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants and an end to Title 42, a Trump-era policy continued under the Biden administration which repatriates migrants without allowing them the possibility to seek asylum.

Though Cherfilus-McCormick's election is all but certain, that hasn't stopped Republican Jason Mariner from putting up a challenge.

A recovered drug addict, Mariner is campaigning to end the nationwide opioid epidemic. He sees closing the border to undocumented immigrants as necessary to accomplishing that goal. On his website, he writes, "I will fight illegal immigrants taking our jobs, narcotics, weapons, criminals, and terrorists."

The Florida-20 race is the first congressional election of 2022 as Democrats seek to maintain control of the House despite tough odds.